Welcome back to the next chapter of the story. Previously, our heroes made some fantastic progress! A clue on the Metal Man has been found and Ishana has given them the all ckear to destory the artificial Gate of Sheol. Unfortunately, the Metal Man is making progress on his side too along with gaining metal clarity and is now getting ready to enter the fray.
With the Mages getting ready to head on over and with the new information our heroes uncovered, will they be prepared to face the Metal Man going forward? Let's take a look.
Himezuru Residence [Living Room]
It was around 1:00 PM when Hinata was cleaning the room, happily humming to herself. She made some fresh sandwiches for lunch for everyone 10 minutes ago as Hinata lost track of time, yet Touya's plate was untouched.
'I wonder where Touya is? I know he wanted to visit Ren and meet up with Mei and Es afterward, but he should've been back by now...' Hinata thought to herself, worried that Touya lost track of time.
Fortunately, after five minutes passed, she heard the sound of a door opening.
"I'm home." Touya said to let everyone know he's home while trying to hide that he had to sprint after being thirty minutes late.
"Welcome home Touya." Hinata said with a bright smile as she came into the hallway to greet him.
"Sorry I'm late. I got caught up in something unexpected..." Touya apologized while stating why he was late, preferring to reveal the info he got from Avenge when everyone is present.
"I see. For now though, why not have some lunch? I prepared a nice sandwich for you." Hinata said, knowing Touya would be hungry by now. As soon as Touya heard that, his stomach growled a little, earning him a slightly embarrassed look and a small giggle from Hinata. With that and after thanking Hinata for the sandwich, Touya went to the table to have his lunch.
Himezuru Residence [Es' Room]
While Hinata was greeting Touya, Kiri was with Yuki, discussing on what the former will do going forward. After getting a clean bill of health, Yuki wanted to make sure Kiri has a good home and to remain in contact with everyone in the future.
"So... I was at this particular apartment recently... and these are what possessions I currently have aside from my plushie and the clothes I wear..." Kiri said as he pulled out what few things he had; a toothbrush, a pen and a money clip, which currently held 3,000 Yen ($20.75 US Dollars). Kiri reveled that he didn't have to worry about towels, soap and shower related items as the hotels and apartments he stayed at already had those in the restrooms. Not to mention with the money he earned from part time jobs, he bought whatever necessities he needed, including food.
"No wonder you were tough to find... you carry so little with you." Yuki said in amazement that Kiri got by despite not having much with him.
"Still, I'm just relieved to know that you have healed, but you shouldn't worry your friends like that." Yuki said with a relieved smile.
"But... I've done a lot of bad things because of..." Kiri was about to speak about himself out of guilt until Yuki put a reassuring hand on his shoulders.
"Kiri... you must know that what happened wasn't your fault..." Yuki said with a small smile, knowing how much of a kind man Kiri really is.
"But... my body... it used belong to the man who..." Kiri continued and was on the verge of tears before Yuki pulled him into a deep hug.
"Kiri... you're nothing like that man... you never were... not at all..." Yuki said with great sincerity as she wanted Kiri to know that he is much better than he though he was.
Sometime after the Freaks Incident, Mei and Touya decided to tell Yuki what became of Ripper, although they didn't tell her that it was Avenge that did the Serial Killer in. Like with Touya, Yuki wasn't sure how to feel about Ripper's death. Yes, he was responsible for killing her parents, sending her into a three year depression in addition to nearly killed Hinata and while it's true she hated him, Yuki knew revenge would never bring her parents back, nor did she think it was right to wish death on others, even if that person was a remorseless monster. What did surprise Yuki was Kiri's origins, thanks to what Kuon and Elise revealed. Despite having the body of her parents killer, Kiri's personality and memories are all his own and Yuki knew that. Therefore, she had no reason to hate the shy, compassionate young man in front of her.
"You need to stop comparing yourself with Freaks. You're much better than you think you are. Es and Touya would tell you the same thing too." Yuki continued as she continued to relieve Kiri of his guilt.
"Thank you Doctor Himezuru..." Kiri said with great gratitude as a single tear escaped his eye, with Yuki wiping it away. The two spent a few minutes in appreciative silence until Kiri realized something...
"Oh! Es is coming back home tonight, right? What do we do?" Kiri replied as that today is when Es is coming back from visiting Mei for the Weekend. Therefore, staying in Es' room was put of the question at that point.
Originally a mere guest room, once Es officially moved in, the Azure Maiden decorated this little room with her own little touches. This included getting her a bed instead of having to sleep in a futon, a nightstand and a lamp. There was even a little bookshelf and a desk for Es' use. There were some other things in her room, but nothing worth talking about at this time.
"There's no need to worry about that, you can use my room for the time being." Yuki suggested, causing Kiri to get nervous.
"What!? B-b-b-but, that's your room!" Kiri said with a beet red face as the idea of spending time in a girl's room was kind of embarrassing. Granted, he stayed the night in Es' room, but he still felt embarrassed about that even then.
"Come on! It's okay. Or... is it because a pretty lady sleeps in there on her days off?" Yuki teased Kiri further, causing the man to become more flustered.
"Please Doctor!" Kiri said in a frustrated tone as Yuki giggled from the teasing, as she likes to do with the people she views as family. Like everyone else, Kiri is like a brother to her and thus wants him to know he's got friends and family ready to look out for him. After Kiri calmed down, Yuki continued.
"We'll talk further about getting you a home set up once Mei comes over with Es, okay?" Yuki said with a wink as she decided to head to the front room.
"Sure thing." Kiri agreed as he decided to head to the front room with Yuki. He felt so greatful to have friends that actually cared about him. Es, Hinata, Touya, Mei, Kuon, Elise, Akira and Yuki. That's why he vowed to treasure them and do his best to help them out.
Ishana [Kuon and Elise's Dorm Room, Some time ago]
It was around 12:50 PM when Kuon ended the Chat Room and turned to find Elise hurrying to get her things together in her suitcase on her bed. Kuon couldn't help but chuckle at her friend hurrying like she did.
"Elise, we have more then enough time to get ready. We're not leaving right away." Kuon reassured her friend about not needing to be in a rush to get ready. After seeing Elise got her suitcase on her bed, Kuon went over to her dresser to get some essentials such as spare clothes and other important things to pack up.
"Kuon is right. Our boat won't be leaving until 8:00 PM. That's more then enough time to get packed. Although, why are you packing some of those manga and DVD's?" Zwei stated as she gave the time of their departure while questioning Elsie bringing some of her hobby related possessions.
"To show Nu! Maybe the others too. Besides, I'm sure we can handle the Metal Man and have extra time to spend with everyone before the Graduation Ceremony." Elise said with such honesty that it's almost baffling. From admitting she's a lesbian to being a proud Otaku, she's definitely got a good head. Almost being the key word, considering Elise lied to the dorm's resident advisor about Kuon's behavior to take the place of Kuon's previous roommate. Kuon wasn't too thrilled, but understood why Elise felt that way. Kuon couldn't stay mad forever and she still got along with her former roommate, a girl who specializes in wind magic and even managed to get her and Elise to get along after helping them bury the hatchet.
"I see..." Was all Zwei could say. Turns out even one of the legendary Ten Sages can be caught off guard by Elise's honesty sometimes.
"Lady Zwei? Shouldn't you pack up too?" Kuon asked her teacher as she put some spare clothes in her suitcase, in addition to getting her toothbrush and hairbrush.
"I will do so when I return to my home. Although, I won't be carrying too much with me though." Zwei mentioned as she noticed Elise packing up her laptop.
"Just try not to over pack. And remember to be by the docks at around 7:30 PM tonight so we can catch the boat. We can rest for the night during the ride." Zwei advised to the two mages as she prepared to head home and pack up for the trip.
"Understood Lady Zwei." Kuon smiled and nodded.
"Sure thing, Lady Zwei." Elise chimed in with a smile of her own.
"Good. I'll see you tonight." Zwei said as she left the room.
After 10 minutes of packing, Kuon and Elise sat down on each of their beds. With nothing to do until the scheduled meet up, Elise grabbed the remote and turned on HULU to find a suitable anime to watch for the time being. As she was scrolling through, Kuon decided to break the silence and the clicking sounds as Elise is searching through her HULU Profile.
"Elise? Mind if I ask you something?" Kuon said, hoping her friend can answer a question she had on her mind since speaking with Mei and Es.
"Oh, sure Kuon. What is it?" Elise replied as she started looking through the anime section. While she hoped if it would be about forming a relationship with Kuon, Elise knew deep down that Kuon never saw her in a romantic light. In the end, all that mattered to the Blue Haired Mage was that Kuon is happy, even if it meant her heart belonged to someone else. Elise is just happy to be to be her friend and to know what love feels like to begin with. While the thought saddened her at first, Elise has come to accept it. Doesn't mean she can't try or dream, right?
"Since you've seen some anime and read a few manga in regards to the subject, what do you suppose it's like for Nu to become... human?" Kuon asked her friend, remembering Mei telling her Nu's wish. To be honest, it's not every day that a robot WANTS to be human. Sure, there's more good people in this world than there are bad ones, but is Nu mentally prepared to live as one?
"Oh!" Elise let out as she sat up straight from the response. It's not everyday your knowledge of anime is compared with real life experiences. Although to be fair, with magic and all that, they may as well be living in an anime, especially in regards to Magical Girl shows like Sailor Moon. But still, how will Elise answer that question? What anime or manga should she use as reference point? Try as she might, none came to her mind, but something else entirely came about instead.
"This might surprise you, but I don't really have an anime that would fit with this situation. If anything, you could use Es as an example. I mean, artificial beings and robots are kind of similar." Elise explained to Kuon, who could express confusion and wonder.
"But that's the thing. Before Es came back as a human, she could do all the things we can, including eating and sleeping. But Nu couldn't do any of that, yet recently she's capable of developing things she likes and all." Kuon replied, trying to make sense of Nu. If she was going to help Nu develop as a person, she needed to know what the robotic girl.
"Well, have you heard about the story of Pinocchio?" Elise asked Kuon, causing the fire mage to respond in kind.
"Of course I have! The story of a woodworker creating a puppet in the form of a boy, where after the woodmaker wished upon a star, the puppet gained sentience and after going through many hardships by proing himself brave, truthful and unselfish, he became a real boy." Kuon explained to Elise as she recalled the story her mother once read to her when she was a little girl.
"Well, you could say Nu is like Pinocchio. Just that Nu is a robot instead of a puppet." Elise continued, hoping it would clear up any confusion her friend had. Kuon took the time to process what Elise explained to her. Nu's wish does align up with the story of Pinocchio. The only difference is that instead of a kind woodmaker, Nu's creator was a mad scientist. No sign of a giant whale, a "Pleasure" Island or anything like that. However, comparing Nu to the title character in terms of what they want does make sense.
"I'm still trying to figure it out, but what you told me does make sense. Thanks Elise." Kuon said to the Blue Haired Mage, thankful for her advise.
"You're welcome, Kuon." Elise replied as she finally found an anime to play on HULU right around 1:15 PM. She has heard about Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba and how good it was from Es during a private chat between the two of them, so why not give it a go?
"Demon Slayer?" Kuon questioned Elise about the anime her friend chose.
"It's a good anime Es watched. So, I figured why not check it out." Elise replied as she started up the the show. They have about six hours to watch a good portion of season 1, so the two mages will have something to talk with Es about. Maybe Mei, assuming she doesn't get embarrassed about it.
Riverside Walkway [Later that Evening]
It was around 5:00 PM when Es and Mei left the Amanohokosaka Residence and made their way back to the Himezuru Residence. When Es called Hinata before heading out, she mentioned that she's making Tonkatsu (deep-fried, breaded pork cutlets), for dinner tonight and should be ready by the time they arrive at the house.
"So Mei, how do we bring up the news to everyone?" Es asked the Shrine Maiden as she wondered about how'd they bring up the info about Ishana and the arrival of their mage friends.
"It's best to bring it up after dinner. There's no need to ruin everyone's appetite with excitement or anxiety." Mei replied with the Azure Maiden nodding in agreement. One thing they do know is that everyone will be happy to see the three mages again... although they figured that Touya won't be excited about Ringo's curry obsessed behavior again.
The two girls continued their way back to the Himezuru Residence in anticipation for tonight.
Himezuru Residence [Dining Room]
After setting up the dining room 20 minutes and getting a call from Es before 5:00 PM, Hinata began cooking the Tonkatsu to make sure she cooked enough for everyone, including Kiri, Mei and Akira, the latter of whom came over some time ago. It was around 5:30 PM that Hinata managed to finish cooking the last of the Tonkatsu. Hinata also prepared julienned cabbage, some miso soup and rice on the side to go with the meal. Although she had seven people to feed, including herself, Hinata is ALWAYS happy to cook for people along with doing the chores. Hinata brought every plate to the table and around that time...
*Ding Dong*
Went off the door bell. Hinata was about to head off to answer the door, but before she could...
"I'll get it Hina!" Yuki shouted as she headed over to the front door, knowing that Es and Mei have arrived. Hinata continued to set up the table as Yuki answered the door.
"Es, Mei, hi you two." Yuki welcomed the two girls warmly as they came in, taking their shoes off by the entrance.
"Hello Yuki." Es replied with a warm smile.
"Hi Yuki." Mei also replied with a smile of her own. As soon as they took their shoes off, Yuki turned to Es.
"How're you feeling Es?" Yuki asked the Azure Maiden in response to her ribs, hoping that Es is taking it easy.
"I'm still a little sore, but Mei made it bearable. Thank you for asking." Es responded to Yuki, appreciating the elder Himezuru's concern. Yuki is well aware of Mei's healing talismins and while they can't fix everything, it can help the healing process. With that, Yuki gave Mei a wink in appreciation with the Shrine Maiden returning the gesture.
With everyone greeting each other as Es and Mei came in with Yuki, the seven of them got together at the dining table.
"Thanks for the food!" Everyone said in unison as they dinner together, having a good time as a family.
Himezuru Residence [Living Room]
Some time after having dinner and helping Hinata clean up, everyone gathered in the front room as Mei and Touya had something they wished to discuss in regards to the current situation. Once everyone steaded themselves, Mei went first, explaining about how they got the okay to head to Ishana. Needless to say, the fact they got the okay brought elation to everyone. Well, aside Kiri. Granted, while he's friends with Kuon and Elise, he still felt nervous about the place that put him through those awful experiments, but he didn't feel the need to bring that up now.
"That's great, Mei!" Hinata chimed in, happy that Mei, Es and Touya will be able to help the world with their new goal. While she will miss them during the break between graduation and the start of the next school semester, Hinata figured it'd be best to save her thoughts on that for later.
"So, we're all set than?" Touya replied, hoping that they won't be intruding of the Magic Guild. Yes, they got clearance and they know now that destroying the gate won't harm Ishana, but he wanted to check just to be safe.
"Yes Kagari, we're set. Although..." Mei trailed off as she look at Es, wanting her to say the other important news. With that, Touya, Hinata, Yuki, Akira and Kiri looked at the Azure Maiden.
"We got this from our recent chat session today in addition to the info about Ishana, but Ringo said that she, Kuon and Elise will be arriving in Shin Yokosaki tomorrow to visit us until graduation in the middle of March." Es replied with everyone responding in great cheer as their friends from Ishana will be coming tomorrow. Well, Touya figured it'll be best if Ringo didn't bring her curry obsession with her, but he's happy to see her along with Kuon and Elise nonetheless.
"It looks like everyone is here for a reunion! The only one missing is Kazuto..." Yuki replied while mentioning the bounty hunter in question, looking down that her old family friend hasn't been around lately. With that, Touya decided to bring up what he got from Avenge.
"Funny you should mention Kazuto..." Touya said as he explained his run in with Avenge earlier today, revealing where the bounty hunter has been and what brought him back recently.
"So, he's back in town? That's good to hear." Yuki chimed in good spirits.
"Not only that, he also gave me this photo, which has the Metal Man in it. He got it from a visitor from Ishana. Oh, don't worry, it wasn't Kuon, Elise or Ringo!" Touya said and clarified as he brought the photo out from his jacket and showed everyone. Needless to say, it came as a shock that the Metal Man is indeed a robotic being.
"Whoa, so he IS made out of metal..." Akira replied as Touya chuckled lightly to himself as he had a similar response himself.
"It's kind of blurry, isn't it?" Kiri replied in response to the photo's composition. This is the first time he's hearing about the Metal Man, but he can tell he'll be a huge problem.
"It looks like he's in front of a jewelry store... so that could mean the Metal Man was responsible for those burglaries." Mei guessed as that looks to be the case at this moment in time. But the question remains is why he was stealing to begin with as he was searching for Es and Touya.
"I guess. All that I know is that Kazuto is tracking down the Metal Man as well and that he will assist us when he shows up in addition with any future Unions." Touya stated as he told everyone what Avenge told him, showing that he is prepared to do what he must in order to help his allies.
"Yes, but our new foe is in fact a robot. We have to be careful if we run into him or if he finds us. Therefore, we must be careful when traveling around at night." Es advised everyone as replied in agreement about traveling at night.
"Overall, we'll have at least two weeks to find the Metal Man and stop what he's doing before we head to Ishana. Fortunately, we'll have three more eyes and ears ready to help out when they arrive tomorrow." Mei stated as she turned to Yuki.
"Yuki, if someone comes into the Hospital..." Mei asked Yuki in case anything related to the Metal Man comes into the Hospital.
"I'll be sure to let you know." Yuki responded and with that, everyone took the time to let everything settle in while expressing their excitement of Kuon, Elise and Ringo coming tomorrow. After 15 minutes passed with everyone getting the excitement and anxiety off their shoulders.
"Hey Mei, can I see you and Kiri in my room?" Yuki asked the Shrine Maiden.
"Sure Yuki." Mei responded as she and everyone else thanked Hinata for dinner before heading off to do their own thing. Mei, Yuki and Kiri went to Yuki's room to discuss where Kiri will live, Akira went back home while making sure to stay safe and Hinata went to her room to continue working on what she is handcrafting. This left Es and Touya alone for a while as the two went to Touya's room for a moment to discuss things.
Himezuru Residence [Touya's Room]
It was 6:30 PM when Touya and Es walked into the former's room. Es hadn't been in his room for a long time, yet she remembered the few moments she has been in here. It was in this room when Touya questioned her original view of only following orders after a rather interesting scenario, which would be the start of Es' growing humanity.
Back then, Es was ordered to watch Touya, which included sneaking into his bed as soon as he turned off the lights, with Touya grabbing her chest, noting how warm and nice smelling she was all the while. Back then, she didn't even care, but remembering it now certainly embarrassed the Azure Maiden.
'Ohhhh... that certainly was awkward now that I look back on it.' Es thought to herself as she looked around the room and what occupied it.
"You remember that moment too, right Es?" Touya asked as he got nervous himself. Turned out she wasn't the only looking back.
"Y-yes. If it means anything, I'm sorry for sneaking in here that night a year ago." Es apologized as she now understands the implications and embarrassment the situation of a girl sneaking into a boy's bed entailed.
"N-no, you had nothing to apologize for. Besides, that was so long ago anyway." Touya replied as he sat down with Es joining him. The two sat in silence wondering what to say or do.
"So Es?" Touya questioned Es.
"Yes Touya?" Es answered back.
"Are you... happy now?" Touya asked the Azure Maiden is she was content to be here now.
"Yes, of course. I'm with everyone now, including you." Es replied, showing something of a bashful side to her that she rarely showed at all.
"I'm glad to hear that." Touya said with a smile while rubbing the back of his head. It was then that Touya noticed that Es had her hand over his.
"Do you think... we'll be okay, Touya?" Es questioned Touya, prompting him to cock his head in confusion.
"In what way, Es?" Touya replied, hoping that Es would be more specific in what she meant.
"In regards to the Metal Man and how everyone will react to us becoming... a couple..." Es answered about the possible dangers the Metal Man could bring in addition to making their love official, trailing off as she showed concern.
"I know that our work always has the possibility of one of us getting hurt or... killed... but I know that as long as we look out for each other, I have a feeling everything will be okay. Besides, we'll have not just Mei and Nu, but Avenge, Kuon, Elise and Ringo to help out too." Touya responded in an attempt reassure his beloved about the Metal Man first. Yes, if Touya EVER lost Es at the hands of an enemy, it would devastate him and he knew Es would feel the same of the reverse happened, but he was willing to take the risk if it meant protecting everyone he loves, including her.
"Thank you, Touya." Es replied, giving an appreciative and loving smile all the while.
"As for everyone else, I'm sure it will surprise everyone, but I'm certain they'll understand." Touya continued in regards to the others. If there's one thing that this family had in common, it's being accepting of everyone, regardless of what circumstances they have.
"You're right." Es said as she stared at Touya, with the young man looking back at her. For a moment, Touya couldn't help but think to himself how beautiful Es looked to him at that moment while Es wondering to herself about how handsome Touya looked to her. Suddenly their two hearts beat as one as the two slowly inched close as they closed their eyes, hugged each other tightly and pressed their lips together in a deep, passionate kiss. They remain this way for a good two minutes, enjoying the warmth and love they're giving each other before breaking away. Fortunately, no one came to open their door, not have any other doors opened yet.
"C-come on Es, let's head back to the front room." Touya replied nervously to his newfound girlfriend.
"Sure, Touya." Es replied to her newfound boyfriend as they left the room and waited for the others. Regardless of what challenges that comes their way, they'll face it together.
Himezuru Residence [Yuki's Room]
It was around 6:30 PM when Yuki, Mei and Kiri gathered in the former's room to discuss how they'll get Kiri set up in the future. Mei has never really been in this room, as but she looked around, their was a bed and a desk as she expected, but there was also an alarm clock, a bookshelf, a PlayStation 4 and a Nintendo Switch in the room as well.
"So, I will be sleeping on the couch tonight while Kiri stays in my room here for a few nights. I already spoke with the Hotel Manager and payed off the rest of his rent." Yuki explained to the Shrine Maiden in what Kiri will be doing for the time being. The young man still looked nervous about staying in a girl's room, not that Mei can blame him.
"Alright, but where can we take him? There's an empty room in my house he can stay in until he gets up on his feet, either that or staying at the Mitsurugi Agency HQ, but..." Mei suggested nervously. Granted, Mei wasn't in love with Kiri, but she didn't want to share a room with him, nor did she want to put him with a group of people he didn't know about, not to mention that Nu would not know what to make of Kiri.
"I'm sure... we can figure something out..." Kiri said as the Shrine Maiden and the Elder Himezuru nodded in agreement.
"Well, let's head back to the front room and we'll see you off Mei." Yuki said as she got off of her bed.
"Sure, thanks Yuki." Mei thanked Yuki as the two and Kiri left the room, to meet up with the others.
Himezuru Residence [Hinata's Room]
In a brightly colored room at around 6:30 PM, Hinata was handcrafting, or rather, knitting something in particular. She was currently making a set of scarfs, one light blue, one dark blue, one orange and one purple. Hinata had been working on these for a while now and intended to give these to Es, Touya and Akira for completing their second year of high school and Mei for completing her first year of high school. She also figured that it might get chilly in Ishana and figured that the scarfs she made will keep her friends warm. As she finished up the touches on Mei's scarf, she got out a red ball of yarn and started getting the base set up as she now wishes to make a scarf for Kuon and Elise. Granted, they go to a different school, but Hinata figured to give them a graduation present too.
Once Hinata got a third of Kuon's scarf done, she heard two doors opened. Hinata put her handmade presents away and headed out her door to see what was up.
Himezuru Residence [Entrance]
"Okay, I'll be heading home now. Thank you for having me over again, everyone." Mei thanked everyone as she got her boots on at 7:00 PM.
"You're welcome Mei. Take care and be safe." Hinata replied cheerfully as she hoped that Mei will like the present she made when the time comes.
"Thank you for having me over again Mei. I'll see you tomorrow." Es replied with a soft smile.
"I'll see you at school tomorrow. Take care now." Touya replied with a smile of his own.
"Take care Mei and get home safe." Yuki replied with a cheerful tone.
"See you later Mei." Kiri replied while waving back. With that, Mei left the household and made her way back home while Touya, Hinata and Es returned to their rooms for rest, for tomorrow they will be heading to school. Yuki went to the couch with a blanket to rest for she's set to resume work at the Hospital again while Kiri went to Yuki's room to rest. While Kiri doesn't have anything to do, he has a part time job to get too at least, for he still wants to be responsible instead of just sitting around.
Overall, today was a great day for everyone. Now that things are set in motion, all that they have to do now is help Nu grow and take care of the Metal Man.
Ishana [Docks]
It was around 7:20 PM as Kuon carried her suitcase while Elise rolled her suitcase on it's wheels to meet up with Zwei for the boat ride to Shin Yokosaki. They just arrived at the docks where they spot the former Ten Sage with a suitcase of her own.
"We're here Lady Zwei." Kuon greeted her mentor as she placed her suitcase down momentarily.
"You're a little early, but it's better than being late." Zwei noted as Elise came up.
"So, if I'm correct, we're taking the late night boat ride so we'll be there by tomorrow morning, correct?" Elise asked the former Ten Sage as she took a guess as to why they're taking the night time boat.
"That is correct. Therefore, we should take the opportunity to rest so that we're not sleep deprived in the morning." Zwei advised as the two mages nodded in agreement. After 7 minutes have passed...
"Lady Zwei, we are ready for departure." The Boat Captain said to Zwei as it was now 7:30 PM.
"I see you're traveling with Miss Stroheim and Miss Klagen this time?" The Boat Captain pointed put as he recalled taking Kuon and Elise to Shin Yokosaki at least four times in the past.
"Yes, the three of us are heading there together this time." Zwei explained as the Captain nodded and with that, the four boarded the ship with their suitcases. Soon enough, as soon as the ship anchor was up, Elise and Zwei went to the rest area below deck while Kuon looked up at the moon for a moment.
'We'll see you guys soon.' Kuon thought to herself as she's looking forward to seeing her friends once again before heading below.
Shin Yokosaki Rooftops
It was 10:00 PM when the Metal Man is leaping across the rooftops testing out the enhancements he equipped to his body. When he was human, he never was able to pperform these super human feats, so not only did he retain his intelligence, but now he has the strength and agility to back up his goals. After sticking a perfect landing on another building, he looked at himself with pride.
"Success! My body is now at an optimal combat level! Now I should be able to fight off against Embryo Storage with no issues! Mei and Es-N might be tougher, I can manage them." The Metal Man boasted confidently that he can face his enemies.
"The Original Grimoire will pose a threat though, especially with that Drive, plus the four of them are a team act and this body can't fight all of them off at once..." The Metal Man noted to himself. If he were to fight them by himself, he'd be turned into scrap metal. Hence his recent stop in front of the police station.
Earlier today, he received info that Embryo Storage has foiled a purse thief and the Metal Man figured that this man might prove useful.
"It's time I hired some extra hands in order to put my plan into motion..." The Metal Man smirked as his cyan eyes glowed. Not with insane laughter or maliciousness, but with excitement...
To Be Continued...
And scene! Sorry that this chapter took a while to get out and all that. As you noticed, I've been spell and grammer checking all the previous chapters to make them look better for an optimal story experience and I hope it's to your liking.
Anyway, both the heroes are all set and prepared for their own goals as soon as they deal with the Metal Man. However, our metallic fiend is preparing to bust some out of prison for his own purposes! How will that go!?
You'll have to tune in next time to find out! See you later!