Chapter 5: Lion's Den

It was a long, agonizing, and productive night for Acarius. Work on his somewhat-fake resume was slow-going, as it took time for him to fabricate facts that matched the truth of his existence. Overall, when it was all said and done, he felt rather good about it. Not really as a resume, but as a work of deception. Completely making up a bunch of stuff and writing it down was easy; anybody can do it. Simultaneously telling the complete truth while also lying about every detail was harder. And that's what this document was for Acarius. It was a completely truthful lie.

His life as an Altmer, completely redefined to contextualize him as a human. His life as a mage completely redefined to make him appear as a Quirked villain from a foreign land.

Being honest about what kind of life he led in his youth was a calculated risk. Most honest institutions would probably look on the words he wrote about himself and toss the whole paper in the trash. It didn't paint a good picture of someone who should be working at a prestigious school. U.A. High School was certainly an honest institution, but it was headed by an eccentric genius whose thought process most likely was not like other people's. For someone like Nezu, the mystery of someone like him daring to put himself in his organization would hopefully be too much to resist. A face-to-face meeting would ensure his place at the school. He was certain of it.

When the morning sun finally peeked back over the concrete towers of his new home, Acarius began his errands. First, he located a spare photo-copier and fax machine. Principal Nezu was an old-fashioned sort, and preferred documents faxed to him directly. A local post office held his prize, and after a short amount of time fumbling around with the technology, he had completed his task.

The next few days would tell whether his work would pay off or not. There was nothing else to fret about, so Acarius left again to begin another project.

That gods-forsaken Enchanting Table.

His earlier work told him that earthly materials simply weren't suited to the ritual required to create the table, but it was hard for him to let go. Enchanting was one of his strong-suits, as it served as the basis for Rune Smithing. He needed more versatility to compete with some of the monstrous humans in this world. Simply carving more magic into his flesh was dangerous, and would soon reach the limit of what he could safely handle. Enchanted items could give him an edge when it matters most, as well as sell his persona more. There must be some groundwork before he could show anybody the Staff of Magnus. It was too unique and would draw many eyes if he was forced to utilize it in public.

The Staff didn't match his costume at all, which he supposed was his fault. The thought of meshing the imagery of his ability and the Staff weren't really on his mind earlier. Perhaps he was hoping he might not need to unleash it at all during his stay on Earth. Very naïve of him. Seeing footage of past villains that the Japanese heroes had dealt with had dispelled the notion from him. Some one these villains were quite dangerous, and he would be a fool to believe that he could win every battle half-assed like with that Brotherhood assassin

Really, the only thing that worried him about the Staff was that he didn't know what it would do to people who had no natural magicka in their bodies. Using it on a human might just wither them away instantly. Its purpose was primarily draining magicka from its target, then eating away what was left of them. Would it skip the first step and just consume the life-force, or would it do nothing?

That burning question would have to be put on hold, until he could find a way to humanely test a hypothesis. He went to his other equipment.

Morokei was just a mask to anybody who saw it, so he had no hang-ups wearing it during combat against the denizens of Japan. Nobody would associate it with anything except for him. What he needed was a weapon that was just as flashy as the Staff, and would split the attention away from just that. His ebony shortsword could definitely serve that purpose, but not as it was now. Acarius kept the blade as it was because it was supposed to be his sidearm, a weapon to utilize when the chips were down and magic wasn't going to help the situation. Enchanting it really wasn't a priority for him in Tamriel.

Now, a flashy magic sword was exactly what was needed. Research into alternate materials was a secondary objective, but it would definitely need be done soon. More importantly than that, he needed the help of someone who knew technology better than himself.

Shaking down half the low-lives of Musutafu had yielded a lot of information in the past few weeks, as street goons tended to be mouthy, no matter the culture. There were at least two respected hackers that resided in the Musutafu area, and four more in Shizuoka Prefecture. No names were given, but one goon had let out a way to contact one of the local ones. There was a middle-man involved: an information broker named Sai.

Sai was of course a pseudonym. Information is both a currency and a weapon for men like Sai, so something as dangerous as his real name wouldn't be known to random hooligans. The interesting part is that the man who gave him this tidbit also seemed convinced that this Sai already knew of Acarius, and he would probably be contacted directly. Local legend states that Sai knows everything that happens in Musutafu, and might even be hooked in to the CCTV surveillance of Japan, which would encompass thousands of cameras. Although the frightened goon believed all of this earnestly, Acarius wasn't certain there was any merit to it.

That was, until not two minutes after sending his documents, a homeless man bumped into the mage.

A piece of paper was thrust into his hands, and the grimy middle-aged beggar spoke quickly before moving on, "He calls."

Acarius attempted to stop him and demand an explanation, but the courier was gone into the crowd within moments. His attention went back to the message. A small, shriveled note with a few words scratched on.

Takoba Municipal Beach Park

White Van

3:00 P.M.

Fascinating.

Takoba Beach was a trashed wreck of a "park" that contained nothing but waste and scrap. One of his jaunts around the city had familiarized him with the tragic landmark of the city. It would be secluded, no-doubt. But why the late afternoon? It only added risk of being seen to what he assumed to be a surreptitious meeting.

Acarius looked up to see the sun not-quite directly overhead. Around 11:35, by his recollection. Well, only one thing to do then. Only a fool arrives to a meeting that suspicious on a time-table set by another party.

Checking the placement of surveillance cameras around the street, he ducked into an alley with no coverage. A glow surrounded his body, as a simple Ironflesh spell surrounded him. Illusion magic was not a strong-suit of his. It resonated deeply with many Altmer, as they love the theory of magic as much as casting it. However, Acarius simply never felt connected to the school as he did with Destruction. Alteration was the school that he had worked the hardest to achieve mastery of, as it had just as much theory behind it as Illusion did. However, the rewards felt much better for the mage, in his mind. Actually changing things around you instead of pretending to change them.

That said, Illusion had some of the best spells for skullduggery, and Acarius couldn't ignore the benefits of it. So, he did what any good mage would do. He adapted the magic that he could do to do what he wanted to do. The glow of Ironflesh began to change from a faint translucent blue to a clear white, before Acarius saw his own form began to disappear.

It wasn't as hard as it seemed, to change the flesh spells into a makeshift Invisibility. Really, the process was easy once you studied the refraction of light through different surfaces. He fondly remembered the look of Tolfdir's face when he showed him that trick. It was thrilling for the old master to see an innovation in such a basic spell to the school.

Drevis was not as thrilled. That eccentric Dunmer was stuck between exaggerated jealousy, and mock-horror to see one of his school's prized spells be "butchered" like that. In the end though, it just fueled his desire to unlock the secrets of Illusion. "I'm going to show you something that will make that silly trick look like novice work!" he had promised, before shutting himself into his study.

Well, Acarius had never told Drevis this, mostly for the sake of their friendly rivalry, but his Invisibility was definitely inferior to the classic Illusion version. He was forcibly refracting the light generated from an armor spell, meaning that he lost the ability to see his own limbs. Normally, the spell creates an aura around the caster that makes one invisible to the mortal gaze: a complicated illusion that normal people just can't see through. Refraction wasn't perfect, so it was theoretically possible to see him, if one knew what to look for. Getting used to the sensation of doing things without being able to see your own hands was difficult as well, but a few months of use had ironed that out.

For now, he would only be invisible for a few moments. The invisible mage took off out of the alley he entered, and rejoined the crowd, taking great care to not get jostled around. All he needed was one blind spot in the cameras. Disguise Self.

When he found what he was looking for, he dropped the invisibility next to an older woman who wasn't really paying attention. She jumped slightly at seeing someone next to her, but quickly convinced herself that she just didn't see him approach. Acarius excused himself and continued walking past.

He was now a shorter man with red hair and soft green eyes, wearing some casual business attire.

Getting lost in the crowd was easy, and he carefully made his way to the designated meeting point within the next hour. Musutafu was a strange place to navigate, but as time passed, it would get more natural. Labyrinthian streets and hundreds of pedestrians of diverse and unique appearances made blending in easy, even for an amateur.

Coming upon the trash-filled beach of Takoba, Acarius scowled at the monument of the consequences of urban living. Vehicles, appliances, and enough scrap metal to rebuild a large naval vessel were all piled in haphazard fashion around the once-pristine oceanfront. A harsh juxtaposition from how the rest of the city carried itself.

Japanese citizens prided themselves on their discipline and commitment to community, so seeing such a careless lack of care put into their environment was aggravating to the mage. He knew that the trash build-up began naturally, from whatever accidents of dumping into the ocean (another lack of care that people had) being carried back to the beach from the tide. Instead of coming together to maintain the beach, and maybe address the issue of the dumping directly, the pathetic denizens of the city simply did what they always did with unwanted realities: ignored it and pretended it didn't exist.

It was the exact same attitude taken toward the homeless population of the city. Apathy at best, derision at worst.

Now wasn't the time for city management problems, however. Acarius needed to find a spot to survey the area to discern the intentions of his new friend. The place was completely unorganized, part maze and part landfill. Placement of junk was sporadic, and could hypothetically hide dozens of people for an ambush. Walking into the depths of the beach, he quickly cast Detect Life, and was surprised to see only one stationary haze of purple, through some more scrap ahead of him.

He made sure to make noise as he navigated his way through to the source of his spell. In a relatively clear part of the beach, he found a large white vehicle, mostly untouched by the rust and decay that permeated the surroundings. It was still a wrecked vehicle, lacking any doors or tires, but it stood out among the browns and oranges around.

Casually sitting in the back of the van was a large figure, middle-aged and slightly balding with a large moustache. He was wearing some kind of ceremonial robe that was half-open, showing off his rather apparent gut, as well as a pair of sleek black pants. The robe was clearly silk, and embroidered with an intricate gold pattern. This was no squatter.

The suspicious man looked up from a small book that he had been reading, and Acarius immediately recognized the type of man this was. Dark eyes that could bore right through a man. Highly intelligent, and determined. He was looking right through the disguise of the mage, right to the source. Acarius dropped his spell, and faced the broker.

A small smile crossed the man's face as he stood up to greet his visitor. "Ah, you've arrived even earlier than I thought you would. I figured you'd show up at around 1:30 or 2:00, but you've managed to be here at..." he stopped speaking to check his watch. "12:46."

His pose was confident, his candor pleasant and knowing. Well, one had to be confident to show up to a meeting alone and in a glorified bathrobe. He quickly continued speaking, "Hm, guess I shouldn't be rude. I did invite you here, after all. I am called Sai, although some refer to me as the Florist. Either is fine with me. You, Acarius-san, have intrigued me since you wandered into my city some weeks ago. Your IDs are fake, your Quirk assessment paperwork is very recent, and very vague, which leads me to believe it's also very fake. Worked with the police of St. Petersburg, Russia for one rather dangerous raid, where you showed great skill in apprehending criminals. Or rather, brutalizing them. I saw your fight with that mercenary underneath the warehouse. Camera was in the corner, being monitored by not just me, but likely whoever was in charge of that operation. No audio, but your actions spoke plenty."

Sai pulled a cigar from his robe and lit it, taking a puff before continuing, "Now, you're skulking around asking rather dangerous questions in a city that you're clearly unfamiliar with. What's more, you've been using less-than-legal means of acquiring money to fund your little crusade against Quirk smugglers. Fascinating. It's not a bad goal at all, mind you. If I know of any smuggling operations, I report them to the proper authorities. It's why I was supervising that raid of yours back in Russia. Heard that their "merchandise" was headed for this region, so I wanted to intercept it. Anyway, I believe it's your turn to start talking now, Acarius-san. I'd like to know more about you and why you require my services."

Acarius would be lying if he said he wasn't taken aback by the Florist. He expected an elevated thug or perhaps some snobbish twit who thought more of himself than was necessary, but not a man like this. Sai was confident, knowledgeable, and sharp. Digging up his past work, seeing through his forged documents, and subtly blackmailing him for his gold fencing operations was slick, and the elf could appreciate it.

He made a small bow to the broker and began his reply, "My name is Acarius Aediath, regardless of the validity of my identification. My motives are exactly as they seem, Florist-san. Seeing those children in St. Petersburg sickened me to my core, and I won't rest until I find the ones who facilitated such an atrocity. In addition, the agent sent from Japan worked with a death cult that I don't want to see reestablished anywhere in the world. Finding that mercenary and preventing any more children from falling into their machinations is a worthy cause for anyone, even a fake Hero like myself."

The Florist continued staring, so Acarius continued, "As for why I need your services, that would be to find employment at UA High School, as a teacher. It's another move to further my "crusade" as you called it. I need employment so I don't have to keep risking myself with illegal dealings, such as the ones you've no doubt heard about. I need some background information relating to my resume brought into existence, as there is no one alive on this Earth who can actually verify anything about me, unfortunately. It's nothing much, I just need there to be records of me existing prior to arriving in Japan. The specifics of these records might seem confusing, but it's actually the truth, if you can believe it."

Taking another drag of the cigar, the Florist grunted. "Hm, what you want is very doable, but I don't work for free. And before you ask, I don't want any of your fabricated gold. You will have to prove yourself to me. It won't take long, but I need to see what kind of man you really are before I help you with something so...strange."

Finally standing up to his full height, which was not very impressive to the high elf, Sai stretched slightly before gesturing Acarius closer. "Now, you get to see something really special."

Acarius complied, stepping up the short broker and allowing him to grasp his arm. "This is my Quirk. Purgatory."

The world seemed to lurch as Acarius felt himself being transported somewhere. The closest thing he could relate it too was a very sloppy Recall spell performed by a novice. Dizziness and nausea welled up in the mage, as the ride that was the Florist's Quirk continued to work, tumbling them through space. After what seemed to be an eternity, they finally halted, presumably at their destination. The mage's vision cleared, and he quickly took; in his surroundings.

Gone was the trashed beach in Musutafu. What Acarius was looking at could only be described as the strangest red light district he had ever seen. They were at the end of a main drag, a long and winding red road that was surrounded by casinos and brothels as far as the eye could see. At the end of the road, there was a tall tower-like structure that was clearly the Florist's seat of power, if he had to guess. People were coming and going from building to building, some drunk, others working. It was a beehive of hookers and homeless, with rich businessmen sandwiched in between. It was equal parts stunning and appalling. "What exactly is this place, Sai?" Acarius whispered.

"I told you. This is Purgatory. My own little slice of reality. My Quirk is a modified Warp-type. Transportation into a pocket reality of my own making. The fun part is being able to take others in and out of it. I made this out of it: a place for the rich of Japan to have some fun and spend some cash without all that red tape and city law getting in the way. Don't worry, this place is actually very safe for its employees as well as customers. Hard to smuggle weapons or drugs in when I'm the only entrance and exit."

"I have some questions about this, if you don't mind. So people just spend all of their time here? How often do you send them back home? Does this place maintain itself while you sleep, or does becoming unconscious kick everyone out to the curb?" Acarius asked, erratically looking around at the large domicile.

This elicited a laugh from Sai, who quickly replied, "Sleeping used to cause the place to go away, but I've trained it over my adolescent years to maintain itself in my sleep. As for everyone else, think of me like a train leading people out. I am a busy man, so it's imperative that I have a schedule. I bring people in on certain nights, and take them back on certain mornings. Plenty of places to sleep around here, and guaranteed protection for those who stay, assuming they pay the fees."

He gestured further down the red road of Purgatory. "Now, we have some business at the Coliseum. Follow me."

As they walked, everyone seemed to instinctively know to step out of the Florist's way. It was much like seeing a monarch walk down the street of his capitol, equal parts awe-inspiring and terrifying for the subjects of the kingdom who saw him. Acarius got a better look at some of the establishments as they passed. The Florist was right, this place seemed to be thriving. No one was angrily yelling at the workers of the brothels or getting rowdy in the casinos, as the mage would expect to see in any ordinary city's equivalents, especially a city in a country such as Japan. It was just people enjoying their time.

Another uncomfortable parallel Acarius noticed between Alinor and his new home; they utterly rejected this depraved lifestyle, yet only enforced it where people could see. As long as it was underground and out of the public eye, the moral busybodies wouldn't actually care about what the peasants got up to. Not that the mage was very partial to gambling and prostitution himself. Losing his money on games of chance simply didn't appeal to him, and his only experience with prostitution was in Skyrim, in which he had frequently been heckled on the streets of Riften by very...aggressive members of the trade. Gave him chills, to be honest.

Eventually, Sai gestured to their left, and took them down a smaller path that led to the second largest building in the space.

A small set of stairs lead to what looked like another tower with a large set of metal double-doors, impressive but smaller than the tower at the end of the main path. As they got near the sizeable doors, they opened on their own, no doubt because the Florist was there. As the massive entrance opened up for the pair, Acarius got a good look inside. The elf was somewhat shocked, as it was almost like looking at his home dimension again.

It was a wide hall that led to another set of doors on the far side that were blocked by what looked like the gate from a gatehouse. Light spilled from those doors, and Acarius could vaguely hear some cheering and chanting from the other side. The rest of the hall was clearly made to resemble architecture of Earth's past, which looked more like some architecture from Tamriel's present. Stone and mortar walls, resembling that of a great castle. Large chains hung from the ceiling, almost resembling a chandelier that would belong in a dungeon. A few smaller chains hung from the walls, without purpose or real intention of being used. All of the lights were contained in opaque lanterns, giving the illusion of being oil instead of florescent bulbs. All of this was theater.

On the right, there was a single stone booth, where a young woman was counting money and handling tickets, almost like an actual theater. So, this was some attempt to sell the appearance of being barbaric to people who have never really experienced true barbarism, Acarius mused.

The Florist continued on past the reception desk, ignoring the female employee who made sure to formally bow at his presence. Acarius gave the woman a nod as he passed. Reaching the large gate, the Florist stopped once more to gesture beyond the entrance to the mage. "Alright, Acarius-san, this is my Coliseum. Beyond this door is perhaps the largest illegal fighting ring in all of East Asia. Affluent investors and thrill-seekers flock to the place like carrion feasting on a corpse. Your part in this little game will be to give the people the show they want. Give them the blood they desire, and I'll handle all your paperwork within the day."

A strange feeling welled up in Acarius's stomach at the proposition. Something about this was really starting to get under the mage's skin, but his need for the man's illicit services currently outweighed his growing disgust for this little paradise. "You wish for me to fight somebody, is that all?" he asked, sensing that there was more to it.

"Well, there's a bit more to it than that. I'm hosting my first exhibition deathmatch in years. Everyone has been getting antsy, with sales to the shows suffering somewhat lately. My customers need to see something real, not that fake crap everyone else puts out. Two fighters enter the ring, only one leaves alive. This is the only way you're going to have anything resembling a real record in Japan, so it seems to me like you don't have much of a choice."

It took quite an effort for Acarius not to appear angry as he replied to the Florist's sickening ultimatum. "Very well, I suppose there isn't much choice." he managed to say calmly.

"Then, you should know the rules. There are only three for this match. No Quirks. No weapons. No mercy. Also, we'd rather you take that robe off. People want to see the bruises and damage accumulate on a fighter, and your getup isn't exactly contusive to showmanship. No offense."

Suppressing a groan, Acarius accepted the rules. Taking off the sheath for this shortsword, he dropped it right at his feet, and began removing his robes. The many belts and fastenings to the dozen or so pouches on his person made this a rather awkward affair, as the Florist watched like a hawk. Finally, with his pouches and belts removed, he got the overcoat and his college-style shirt into the pile as well, leaving him topless with just his black pants and boots. He had to give the Florist credit, he didn't even bat an eye at the appearance of the mage's torso. Others usually couldn't stop themselves from staring. No matter. He had a stupid game to win.

"I expect my belongings to remain exactly as they are until I get back" the mage stated.

A nod from the organizer of the sick game caused the gate to begin lifting, going back into the ceiling and allowing the new challenger access to the arena. Acarius reached the doors and pushed, dreading what he would see next. Another hallway, this one leading to a a bright light, from which the mage could hear the jeering and chants much louder than before. This truly was like an arena back home. Acarius could already predict what it would be like when he walked through. A fighting pit with stands above containing hundreds of people devolved into their primal selves, seeking bloodshed.

Walking toward the light, he ruminated on why exactly the prospect of killing a man was disgusting him right now. It's something the former Thalmor had done dozens, possibly hundreds of times over the decades of his service. Casualties in war, bandits on the roads, and many others that even thinking about was enough to make him sick. This was no different than defending himself, in a way. The other man who signed up for this deathmatch is also entering this arena right now, without a doubt thinking about taking someone's life for profit. No better than a bandit. Never had Acarius batted an eye at turning whatever unlucky brigand he encountered into a smoking pile of ash. When you're assaulted on the roads, in the middle of wilderness, one must do what they can to survive.

But, this wasn't the wilderness. This wasn't even Nirn.

Perhaps that's why it really bothers him. He was already an outsider, an interloper even, to this relatively peaceful planet. Now, he's going to walk in and kill one of its denizens just to profit later. He couldn't even be certain that the people of Earth even had an afterlife. Religion was a strange matter on the planet, and there were definitely no real gods that he was familiar with. Faith alone, without the proof of divinity. Killing an Earthling could very well be truly ending a life, without sending them to whatever peaceful tranquility one would be afforded in Aetherius. It would just be an end for them, and sorrow for those they left behind. No spirit, just a pile of dead flesh.

Acarius made his decision just as he reached the end of the tunnel.

As he passed the threshold, he had to correct his initial assessment of this being like an arena back home. It was definitely stranger.

The first thing he noticed was the intense brightness of the space. Dozens of large lights hung from the ceiling, illuminating every inch of their fighting space. Said fighting space was a large octagon with a cage suspended overhead, instead of the open pit style that Tamriel was rather fond of. And as for the stands...they looked more like a dinner party. Formal wear and fine eating, all the while the rich screeched and hollered in the same manner any peasant in one of his native provinces would. And the stares that those vultures were giving him were especially unnerving.

As he walked toward the ring, the announcer began to the introduction to this farce.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the 3,632nd Musutafu Coliseum Tournament! Today's event: a special exhibition deathmatch!"

The cheering increased dramatically, as the announcer continued on. "In the blue corner...our challenger: The Scarred Warrior of Russia!"

Acarius took that as his cue to actually enter the ring. As he slowly approached, ever aware of the stares on his body, the announcer droned on again. "This tall man hails from the streets of St. Petersburg, where he earned a reputation as a merciless killer of men, and he has the scars to prove it! Today, he comes here seeking the ultimate prize: the thrill of battle!"

Climbing up a few steps and entering the ring, he stared straight ahead to the opposite side, where another tunnel was. His opponent was just entering the threshold, making the announcer's annoyances continue, "And in the red corner...a man you all know very well! Hailing from Moscow, Russia, and having won 14 consecutive matches this past year, he's a favorite to win this thing! Ivan the Terrible!"

And so his foe had a name.

He watched the Russian man, who wasn't as tall as the average altmer, yet was perhaps more muscular, ascend the steps opposite of his position in the ring. Bald, and dressed only in athletic shorts used in professional fights, he would be an imposing figure for most combatants. For Acarius, it was the man's eyes that intrigued him the most. Those pale blue orbs were looking him over in a manner that the mage wouldn't expect from this venue. He was nervous, perhaps even fearful, of this situation. His outward demeanor was that of a fighter, and he had the gait of a man who was no stranger to the ring, but those eyes were not those of one who could take life for nothing more than money or other people's pleasure. Beyond strange.

In the corner of his vision, he saw the Florist taking his seat at a special table closest to the ring. Is this truly what the Florist wanted: him to kill an experienced fighter who brings him in good money? No, there was something at play here, but he didn't know what. What he did know, was that he wouldn't be manipulated in this manner, especially not by a glorified brothel manager. If his mind wasn't made up before, it certainly was now.

Ivan was now face-to-face with him, Acarius looking down slightly to maintain eye contact. As if rehearsed, they both entered their stances. A simple kickboxing stance against the Aldmeri style that Acarius had used since adolescence. Back straight, arms raised with his hands open, just as his instructors had taught him so many decades ago.

The cage that was previously suspended from the ceiling began to lower, before closing in on their fighting space. No way in, no way out.

Both of the fighters had their focus interrupted by the voice of the Coliseum announcer screaming, "Alright, folks, here are the rules for this deathmatch! It's very simple; no Quirks or weapons are allowed during the fight, and there will be no surrender or retreat. This one's to the death!"

"Now, let's get this thing started...Begin!"

That final word pushed Ivan into immediate action, wanting to take the initiative and secure his survival. He rushed forward, delivering several quick jabs at Acarius, testing his defenses.

The mage easily defended against the probing blows, batting the shorter fighter's hand aside after each jab. After the last blow from Ivan, Acarius made a grab for the offending arm, succeeding in grasping his right wrist like a leech.

Ivan attempted to punish the move with a quick hook from his left hand, but the mage again simply pushed the blow aside before launching a palm strike with his own right hand.

Said strike went low from where Acarius was aiming, hitting the man on the chin instead of the nose. He had flinched, but wasn't injured at all. Acarius pressed the advantage still, getting closer and attempting to keep the man's right arm still while stepping into his guard.

The shorter Russian was surprised to find that the tall, lanky man he was fighting had a grip like iron, not allowing him to simply pull away. Instead, he attempted a knee strike to the stomach, hopefully giving him the space he needed.

Acarius already foresaw the blow, seeing as how he trapped the man throroughly, and raised his own leg to hook around Ivan's. Balance was thrown out the window as the mage pushed all of his weight in the Russian's direction, sending them both down to the ground.

Although he was clearly an experienced fighter, few could say that they've fought a war-experienced Altmer in hand-to-hand combat. Bringing opponents low and forcing them to submit was a favored activity of the Aldmeri Dominion, after all, and served as the basis for their unarmed martial arts.

Ivan was helpless as the elf landed on top of him, knees pinning his arms in place. Immediately, the blows began landing on his head as he did his best to mitigate the damage. Acarius wasn't in the mood for prolonging this, however, and took a different course after a few hits.

Making sure to hide his actions with a punch to the head, the mage cast Detect Life as surreptitiously as he could, hiding the offending momentary glow of magicka behind his opponent's head.

His hands shot down to the man's neck, and he began an act he had done few times in his life: manual strangulation. Squeezing the life out of somebody was not easy, but the mage's body weight was enough to keep the shorter man down and allow him to put full pressure on the jugular.

Several seconds passed, then a minute as Ivan thrashed around in his grasp, desperately flailing for anything to prolong his existence. Eventually, the thrashing slowed, before coming to a halt entirely.

The purple glow of Ivan's life force was still shining.

Acarius released the man's throat in an instant, standing up in a victory posed as the sick wannabe aristocrats cheered at the potential taking of life before them.

The cage began lifting, freeing up the arena once more. Someone in the audience took the opportunity to throw something in Acarius's direction, shouting, "Finish him off!"

Said object was a sheathed dagger of Japanese make, by the look of it. The intention was clear; these people weren't satisfied.

More chanting joined the first man. "Yeah, we came to see some blood!"

"Kill him!"

"Yeah, you're supposed to be a killer, what's one more?"

"Come on! Do it, it's no big deal!"

Several voices began chanting in unison, "Kill him! Kill him"

Acarius picked the ornamental dagger up, unsheathing it for the audience to see. The engraved tanto blade was clearly expensive, likely just trash for these disgusting people before him. His hand began shaking as he grasped the handle, rage filling him while the crowd continued their screeching. Eventually, it all boiled over.

"SILENCE!" the now irate mage bellowed.

The voices died instantly, out of fear or desire to hear him, he couldn't say. Acarius continued speaking to the affluent men and women gathered for this barbarism. "Which one of you degenerate pieces of filth said that killing a man was no big deal? Huh? Was it you?"

Acarius pointed to a random man, who seemed to make himself smaller at the accusation. "What do any of you know what it's like to steal the life of another human being? You all, sitting up their in your fancy clothes and sipping on wine. Knowing nothing of struggle, you wish to see others struggle for their very existence for your sick pleasure."

"No, I won't kill this man. But, I will give any of your the opportunity to do so yourselves, if that's what you truly desire. Just come down here and fight me as this man did, fully knowing that if he failed, he would never walk home again. Put yourselves in his place, with this blade poised to take your lives, and then you can speak to me of the ease at which one can kill. So, are there any takers? Well?"

Dead silence filled the atmosphere with a painful tension until it was cut with the sound of loud boisterous laughter emanating from one man. The Florist sat there, looking at everyone and then at Acarius, acting as if he were being entertained by the greatest of court jesters. Acarius's rage threatened to spill over again until the laughter died down and the broker spoke. "Alright people, the show's over. Better luck next time, I suppose." he said, with a few chuckles coming out.

Sai then gestured at Acarius, before walking down the tunnel that they arrived from. Medics rushed into the ring and picked up Ivan, who physically wasn't that injured, thankfully. He watched them take the man off in a stretcher for a moment before following the Florist back to the lobby.

Acarius was still fuming when they arrived back at where he left his clothes and belongings. Sai let him take a minute to dress and properly secure his pouches before starting the conversation. "Well, Acarius-san. I really misjudged your character. Every vibe you gave off told me that you were the cold-blooded type who wouldn't hesitate to snap someone's neck to get ahead in life."

Another cigar was pulled out and lit. "I even kept your name out of it and gave you an excuse to kill without hurting your reputation any, and you pull that little stunt instead. You never had any intention of killing Ivan, did you?" he asked.

"No, I wasn't going to kill a man just because I was told to. And, frankly, I found the whole thing suspicious as soon as I observed the man. He's not a killer, and he was clearly a successful fighter for your people. Throwing his life away for something so trivial seemed strange for something so composed and orderly as yourself." Acarius explained.

The Florist nodded as he listened, seemingly satisfied with the explanation. "Yes, Ivan is a good man who ran into a large debt because of his late father. 30 million yen, no small amount. He's been paying it for a few years now, but I told him that if he risked himself on this venture of mine, I'd wipe the slate clean for him and his family. His life was never really in danger, if you didn't realize it. One of my associates had a telekinesis Quirk ready to pull you off of him if I believed you were going to follow through. Still, there was a chance he could have ended up dead, but he did it anyway for the sake of his loved ones. When he wakes up, he'll be free."

Seeing that Acarius was still unsure of what happened, he continued his explanation. "As for the so-called deathmatch, was a little practical joke I pull on those pricks up in the stands every few years or so when they pester me too much about the entertainment. Initially, I was just going to host a normal match and blue-ball them, but your presence provided me alternate method of reminding them who's in charge."

Well, that was...annoying, Acarius thought.

"That's a relief. I could see the fear and uncertainty in his eyes. It's not a look I really care to see in my opponents, if you understand. Your assessment of my character may well be a founded suspicion. I've killed men before, more than you could probably believe. And all because I allowed myself to believe that just because an authority tells you to do something, it is automatically the right thing to do. I am not that man anymore."

A serious look crossed the Florist's face. "So, that resume you want...it's true, isn't it?"

"Yes. Painfully so. I'm a criminal, but there is only one man on this planet who can tell what my crimes were. Teaching at UA is what I truly desire, but I have no intention of hiding what I am from them. So, I need the truth fabricated."

Taking another drag of his cigar, the Florist nodded again. "Alright, if I wasn't sure before, I'm certain now. I'll do this for you, Acarius-san. My network is pretty impressive, and I can get records put up on the internet as if they've been there for decades. We'll make you a real person again. You have my word." the man promised.

Acarius steeled himself. "Well then, let's get started."

Business was rather straight-forward after that. The full list of documents that the mage wanted was handed to their resident hacker and forger. Acarius assisted greatly by being able to transform his face into a younger version of himself, without the scarring.

Convincing pictures and fake dates for the now defunct government websites of the New Republic of Brazil will go a long way in lending credence to the mage's identity. A lot of the work was time-consuming and the Florist had to convince his people to work overtime through the night, for a hefty bonus of course. This also meant that Acarius would have to sleep in Purgatory to be sent back in the morning.

It was an...interesting experience.

Nonetheless, morning came and Acarius finally said his goodbyes to his new acquaintance and possible-ally, the Florist. His trip back through the man's Quirk was as dizzying as ever, but he was still back in Musutafu, where he had other pressing business.

Namely, figuring out alternate materials for enchanting. Another slow and painful day spent buying samples of various materials, ranging from balsa wood to military-grade titanium alloys.

Testing each material for magicka conductivity wasn't difficult, but it was a rather demoralizing process. Every time his magic caused the sample he was testing to burst apart like a watermelon, showering his apartment in shrapnel, a small amount of frustration built up.

By the end of the day, he was feeling rather dejected at the prospect of making a functional enchanting table. At least he could telekinetically clean his living space when he was done.

It was the day after his failure to produce any desirable results in his apartment that he got the idea to think outside the norm.

While he was mostly certain that all occult and religious artifacts if this world were in fact superstition due to the undeniable lack of real divine presence, there was a minute chance that the people of Earth would be able to subconsciously sense a true magical presence in an object. Perhaps such phenomena are what gave rise to the superstitions in the first place, combined with the human mind's wondrous imagination.

In any case, Acarius considered this avenue more productive than smashing his head against a proverbial brick wall. Thinking that some obscure man-made metal alloy would conduct the energies of the Aetherial plane was just as much of a longshot, so he might as well try something more interesting.

Even if this plan didn't work out, he had a backup that would almost certainly work, but would require him to take a great risk.

Asking around for a store for occult objects had produced many strange looks from the denizens of the city, but none had reported him to the police or anything so far. Although, someone had apparently flagged down some Hero who was patrolling the street and reported his "suspicious" behavior.

Gods, he hated this place.

That little misunderstanding was cleared up quickly thanks to his Hero license, as he simply claimed he was performing an investigation into a sensitive matter. The Hero, Native, didn't really seem to care that much, to be honest. If anything, he was more relieved that he didn't have to do any paperwork over the matter.

Acarius couldn't really blame anyone for believing he looked suspicious, to be honest. His demeanor and scars tended to put people off, and his attire was rather strange for this land. Perhaps he should have disguised himself before going out like this?

No, his liberal use of Disguise Self would surely come back to bite him if he wasn't careful. He already took a risk allowing the Florist and his men see the ability, so he didn't want to risk anyone else being able to connect him to such a thing. It was rather incongruous with his reported Quirk, and it was something that would immediately make someone distrust him.

Eventually, someone had something useful to tell him. He was directed to a store called "Rasputin's House of Antiquities" that was a few blocks away. Apparently it was owned by a rather eccentric old gentleman who once traveled the world looking for mystical objects.

Finding his way there wasn't difficult. Slowly but surely his navigational abilities were improving within the city. Making his way down the designated street, he observed the businesses as he walked by. This was in the more residential part of Musutafu, so there were mostly apartment complexes and small restaurants every once and a while.

In contrast, Rasputin's House of Antiquities looked like someone sliced off a piece of a carnival and shoved it between two homes. Bright reds and yellows adorned the sign of the business, which hung loosely on a pole, practically begging someone to grace their building with their money.

The windows were made of stained glass, preventing anyone from looking inside, but the glass itself depicted macabre scenes of skeletons holding strange objects in reverence, presumably the mystical fetishes that the owner carried. There were even depictions of magic being cast from a man holding a large book, imagery that always amused Acarius when he saw it. It was amazing how they almost knew the realities of his universe, but took it as mere fancy.

Acarius swung open the door to the establishment and walked inside, curious to see these antiquities for himself. The inside was rather cramped, about the size of a small cornerstore, and contained three long shelves packed full of various baubles and trinkets one would expect the average charlatan to carry. Hides and leathers were hung up on the walls, as well as some chains from the ceiling, to give off the aura of being an old and spiritual location.

Totems to ward off evil spirits, dreamcatchers, and talismans for any purpose one could think of. Crystals of various cuts and colors were all put out on display for absurdly low prices. Who would pay 300 yen believing a little rock would protect them from misfortune? All of it nonsense, even back on Nirn. Rarely would places like this carry real magical items, usually fooling the superstitious denizens of Skyrim who both hated magic, yet feared it being used on them, causing them to seek protection from it.

Looking beyond the shelves of the store was the front counter. Large amounts of beads and colored chains hung all around the register area, as well as many types of religious necklaces. Acarius walked toward the counter, intent on speaking with the owner of the establishment. So far, he wasn't impressed with this place, and he couldn't sense even a glimmer of magicka from any of the junk lining the shelves. The register was currently unoccupied, but the mage spotted another room leading to the back, with a wall of brown beaded necklaces serving as the door.

A service bell sat right in front of him, so he reached out and tapped the top of it, causing the standard ringing sound one might expect. He heard some shuffling from the back room, and a quick "One moment please!" muttered from beyond the wall.

Just a minute later the owner finally pushed aside the beads, walking towards the counter and jumping a little as he saw the mage standing in front of him.

The owner was a very nondescript man, seeming like every other old Japanese man without a heteromorphic Quirk that Acarius has seen. His back was hunched, and he didn't walk very smoothly, indicating that he was quite advanced in years. He looked up at the mage and nervously began his standard spiel. "Greetings, traveller, to Rasputin's House of Antiquities. I am known as Ishikawa, the owner of this fine establishment for many years. What sort of mystical assistance are you in need of?" he half-whispered out.

Choosing to ignore his strange reaction to his presence, Acarius cut right to the point. "I'm a collector of occult objects, and have recently come to Japan looking for interesting pieces. I've been told by many people that this was the greatest collection of curios and occult knowledge in this entire region, and yet I'm rather disappointed in what I've seen so far." he lied.

He allowed the man to begin sweating and quickly cut off whatever excuse he was about to utter. "I mean really, healing crystals and fake talismans? What kind of charlatan are you? I trudged halfway across Japan for this!" he exclaimed, feigning indignation at the slight against his person.

Ishikawa seemed to get a grip on himself partway through his tirade, and coughed before attempting to soothe the mage over. "Well, sir, I'll have you know that these objects bring great happiness to my customers, and are as genuine as it gets. I've been to a great many places across the world, and have picked up dozens of rare objects of spiritual significance in my travels. Most of the things on the shelves are just novelties to make the young ones feel different. Perhaps, if you were interested in making a larger purchase, I could show you my rare stock?" the man tentatively threw out.

Acarius made a show of thinking the words over and stroking his chin. "Yes, well, I did intend on spending some money today. And it does make sense that you'd keep your truly rare items away from prying eyes. I believe that I'd like to take you up on your offer, Ishikawa-san. Please, show me this rare stock of yours."

The man seemed both relieved and still somewhat suspicious, but ultimately the greed of having a potential buyer for whatever other garbage he had outweighed that suspicion. "Yes, yes. Just follow me to the back here. It's where I store my most precious findings." he said, ushering Acarius past the counter.

Ishikawa led the way, going past the bead barrier and out of sight before Acarius followed, pushing aside the beads himself and ducking under the short doorframe. Immediately inside was a small room packed full of cardboard boxes, most likely containing the random baubles and necklaces that he sold by the dozen. However, the elderly conman was leading him past the boxes and into a further backroom. This one was blocked by a real door, one with a security system installed: a keypad that he quickly began pressing buttons on.

Within a few strokes, the door unlocked and he waved the mage inside with him. The room was dark, but Ishikawa quickly found the light switch and flipped it, illuminating the prize inside. There were no windows inside the room, instead on every inch of wall sat display cases of varying sizes. Protective glass and ropes gave off the image of a museum more than a private collection, which meant that Ishikawa probably showed others somewhat frequently.

"I'm very proud of everything in this room. In a way, it's like a documentation of my journey through life. Even though the items themselves don't have anything to do with me, I have many personal connections to them. I suppose that's why I've arranged them like this...it's like the museum of my life's work." he said rather affectionately, proudly gesturing at the many cases around him. "Please, go on. Have a look. If any of the items catch you eye, I'd be happy to discuss a sale or trade."

That last part confused Acarius a little. Why so much sentimentality if he was just going to sell the items he clearly held so dearly. He asked as much to Ishikawa, and got a hearty laugh in response. "Ah, I'm getting on in years, and never had a chance to have children. Soon, I'll be gone and my landlord will probably just sell everything in the shop to the highest bidder. The real value of these items are the memories they've given me, so I'm happy to part with them and hopefully they can in some way enrich the lives of their new owners." he explained.

Acarius nodded at the man's words. Perhaps the man wasn't just an old kook or a charlatan. Just a man with a hobby who had to eat. Very well, he would take a gander at these treasures and see if any of them were worth his time. All it took was one step, and suddenly he froze. The middle case in the room, directly across from the door. It was like a font of magicka bursting from it, engulfing the whole room in its glow. Gods, how did he not sense that from outside.

Slowly, he crept up toward the source of the divine glow, desperately trying to seem casual in his approach. Each step only intensified the feeling of importance that only came when one glimpsed upon an artifact of true power. It was much like when he came face to face with the Staff of Magnus for the first time. Just keeping on your feet was difficult, the urge to bow down and bask in its presence was hard to resist.

Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the case, gazing through the glass. The throbbing in his head faded, and the intensity of the magic seemed to dim now that he was looking directly at it. Inside the case lay a large book, the cover almost completely black, save for a strange green design in the middle.

It depicted a blob-like mass with many eyes, tentacles and pincers protruding from it in every direction. Something about the book was deeply familiar to the mage, but for the life of him he simply couldn't remember.

What it was didn't really matter, the important part was that it was like a magical beacon. It was imperative that he retrieve and study it, not just for his own sake, but for the safety of anyone else who came across it. Objects like these were unpredictable, and only the expertise of a careful mage could mitigate the inevitable damage they wrought.

As casually as he could, he leaned back to speak to Ishikawa. "This book looks rather peculiar. Where did you pick this one up?" he asked, trying not to seem too interested.

Excited to keep telling his old man stories, Ishikawa quickly replied, "You know, it was the darndest thing, actually. I was down in Okinawa a few years ago, before my arthritis got bad. Beautiful fishing there, and wonderful scenery. And the women...anyway, I was down on one of the docks, picking up some bait to go fishing, when a fishing boat pulls up to the dock."

The old man had to take a deep breath before continuing his story. "So, I go over to greet the crew and see if I can get a good deal on some fresh catch. Typical stuff. Only, the crew all book it off the boat before I could say two words to them. Like little mice who saw a cat. Then, the captain comes by, holding this book in his hands, shaking he'd just been dumped with ice water. I ask him what the hell is going on with his men. Tells me that they fished this book out of the ocean in a net, and wouldn't elaborate any further. Then, he shoves it into my hands and takes off, leaving his boat completely. It was very confusing."

Something about this was deeply concerning to Acarius. Assuming that Ishikawa was telling the truth, then the book must be giving off vibes that even beings without magic can sense. Curious to hear more he urged Ishikawa to continue.

"Now, I'm a deeply spiritual man, always have been. I believe in many things, both natural and supernatural. And honestly? I think that those fishermen were just jumping at shadows. They fished up some old book, saw a sea monster on it, and freaked out. Sailors are like that, real scared of ocean stories. The inside isn't really anything to admire, in my opinion. Just some weird imagery, no words. I will admit, there is something about this book that freaks people out. I'm not sure what, but it's the reason I've kept it for so long. Can't get rid of the damn thing." he concluded, laughing.

This was the opportunity he needed. Unbeknownst to the old man, a swirling tattoo on Acarius's stomach began to glow a pleasant green, the illusion spell being cast on him. Just a simple little Charm to give the rather useemly elf a shot. "Well, Ishikawa-san. I'll have you know that strange literature has always fascinated me. You've admitted that no one else seems to want it, so how about you sell it to me. Name a fair price, and I'll pay it right now." he said with as much charisma as he could muster.

Ishikawa cocked his head to the side, lost in thought for a moment before responding, "Eh, guess I shouldn't have told you that no one wanted it. Oops. Oh well, let's just say 8,000 yen for the rarity of it. Guarantee you'll never find a book with as good a story attached." he proposed with a little chuckle.

Acarius reciprocated the laugh politely. "Perhaps not, Ishikawa-san. I can do 8,000 yen. May I the stories behind the rest of your collection?"

After sitting through another half-hour of the old man's stories, which were actually enjoyable in his opinion, Acarius eventually left the store with his prize in hand.

Now, he had some work to do.

Another chapter completed.

Well, I recently got into the Yakuza franchise, and simply couldn't resist the urge to add a character to the story. I was always going to add some kind of information broker who was more neutral-good in alignment, but having it be the Florist of Sai himself came later. I felt that the underground of Japan needed a kind of Anti-Giran, someone who hoards knowledge and plays by his own rules, but ultimately isn't evil and wants the best for his city.

Pretty much every culture has some form of unarmed combat, so I decided to create my take on the style of the Altmer instead of going the easy route of "elves are pussies and fight despite almost conquering Tamriel".

Think of it like Tanimura's style from Yakuza 4. Lots of grabs and joint-locks, utilizing superior range and long limbs. Big juxtaposition to say a Nord style, which is more bar-brawl mixed with Glima. You'll see more real combat eventually.

Next chapter will be what everyone probably clicked here for. UA itself will finally be here, and the My Hero plot will begin.