|| As maybe none of you are aware, since almost 2 weeks ago when I was about to update this story, my folks found out about my Skype life and tldr I can't come back to Skype anymore. If this marks my departure from TR, then I'll sadly accept it and mention that it was a fun ride with y'all, but regardless of TR this story goes on, past the tragedies and irl stuff that hampers me down every day.

Moving on, this is a continuation of last chapter, and as I wrote way too much, I aimed to split the text at a rather interesting position ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) and hopefully after my two exams this week, I'll be able to finish up this particular backstory and move into the next arc of this story, the story itself consisting of 3 arcs, so things are going to get a lot funnier in chapters to come, trust me.

Also this editor is being a piece of shit on formatting, so apologies in advance!

Anyways, Strieter, Nin and AK y'all need to contact me asap ||

Chapter 7:

Previously on M.A.G.I.C: Rising...

"So, what's this good idea of yours?"

Mango leaned forward and clasped his hands together.

"I believe I know who Looker is."

))))

Both their eyebrows shot up, though Strieter was clearly the more visibly alarmed of the two. His companion instantly recovered and peered at the host with squinted eyes.

"Oh yeah? Was he your friend or something?"

That remark earned a bothered frown and a subsequent sigh as he put both his hands on his knees and leaned forward to converse in a hushed voice.

"I wouldn't say friend. I hate him, and I'm pretty sure he hates me."

Strieter cast a worried look at his friend.

"Would you happen to remember his name? Something to tell us who he was?"

Mango shook his head, and his guest became quiet, though Daisy certainly wasn't done with him yet.

"I didn't know you were the type to have frenemies."

At her sly smirk, he rolled his eyes and waved off her uncharacteristic question.

"I don't know what you mean by frenemy, but he and I stand on opposite sides, and he knows that as well as I do.

As the following silence left each to their thoughts, Mango bit into a biscuit himself and nodded as it crumbled in his mouth, soliciting attention and a questioning look from his male friend. He swallowed and pointed at the cookie.

"I made this batch after work. Thought it wouldn't be this good though."

Without skipping a beat, Daisy spoke.

"Since when could you cook?"

And without skipping a beat, he thoughtlessly replied.

"Nin taught me how to bake and stuff before I left to study here. Like, 75% of the cookies and assorted sweets and stuff I bring to parties is homemade. You should really try some of the stuff that she makes though."

Stri reached for another cookie and talked as he ate.

"Shade can bake a bunch of stuff too, so your sister'll have company if she wants to go on a baking spree."

With quick movements, Daisy put hands on knees and looked to the floor as the two men kept eating, her face hidden by black bangs as she sighed. Whatever seemed to trouble her, her friends assumed it was probably unwise to risk asking her about. After a moment's hesitation, she looked up and pursed her lips.

"Anyways, when do you remember your last meeting with Looker?"

This query earned a single furrowed brow and a chuckle from her host, as he shifted position on his sofa and gestured at himself with his thumb.

"The last time I met him was on the Day of Departure, and that was really the only time we met to be honest, so yeah."

She wore a satiated expression, though her sofa buddy looked like he didn't have a clue as to what they were talking about. Her sly smile crept back onto her facial features and her arms likewise looped around Strieter's opposite shoulder, directing his attention to the Turkish host who just stared at her action.

"Say Mango, it looks like Mykael here doesn't know what we're talking about. Could you tell us one more story?"

His blank expression gave way to a discouraging scowl as he muttered choice ethnic expletives under his breath, and caused Daisy to chuckle, all to the ever-growing confusion of the hopeless Strieter.

Mango cleared his throat and leaned back on his sofa, putting an imaginary cigarette to his mouth and lighting it as he glanced at his guests again, a smirk taking form as he spoke.

"Fine. But you guys can't interrupt this story, or I'll make you guys stay the night with me. Remember how fun the last sleepover we had here was?"

)))))

The Saviour Six's official Turkey Tour was scheduled to last for a week.

It didn't last for even half a week.

Details about the stimulus were vague and largely unknown, but the third day of the Six's visit brought destruction and death to the Idlisi district of Istanbul. The carnage was clearly not limited to the populace, as for the few helicopter crews that did manage to get an aerial view before being downed, they were not able to describe the sight of entire buildings cleaved, crippled or absolutely destroyed, but the image was the last thing on their mind before they died. After other surveillance efforts similarly failed, the citizens of the city took it upon themselves to stop the culprits themselves, and sent themselves off as ground forces.

Naturally, an all-out war with the Six was going to result in a bloodbath, and that's what essentially followed. After they massacred the majority of the local defenses, they took it upon themselves to avoid fighting and instead split up to roam across the district. The apprehensive civilians watched on as their travels appeared to be aimless, but by the time they realized, the damage was done; those several hours of fright had allowed them to destroy most, if not all the ways out of the place. Fearing the worst, Idlisi's inhabitants cautiously checked upon these compromised locations, and started to panic when the district was indeed, cutoff from any external aid and escape was henceforth deemed impossible.

Isolation was already a cruel sentence, but further vigilance revealed that the Six had left only one bridge intact and mercilessly went after any soul that dared to traverse the strait. The city's entire infrastructure was effectively and tremendously disabled, and with the last remaining bridge closely hounded, the Turkish populace collectively gave up on escaping without any intentions of fighting, and instead focused their efforts inwards.

Hospitals became the magnets of the city, as the critically wounded were searched for first, and the rest of the injured civilians were huddled together in various waiting wings. Whoever was not hurt was automatically a helping hand for the doctors and nurses, and if a hospital building was out of commission due to the events prior, then all pitched in to set up makeshift camps right outside the fallen buildings, so that medication and other medical equipment would be able to be retrieved.

For the peaceful people of Idlisi, the events of the day had rattled them all to their core. There was little they could do but survive and wait out the Six, who had also set up camp around the remaining bridge, determined to see things go their way.

And in the midst of tragedy, a solid agreement brought together three unique individuals and created a powerful union of magic users. In juxtaposition to the city's users who were weary and scared shitless, they announced their intentions to drive out the Six and reclaim the city. With their group hug and exchange of fist bumps, the stunned people didn't make any action to stop them, and together, the three of them set out to do what no other had done -

- defeat the Six.

As the air became too tense to breathe, the physically able Turks started to move in the shadows and stake out the last bridge with the intention of watching these three individuals faceoff against these monsters. And yet, this seemingly defiant group had turned tail and missed their self-announced appointment at the bridge. After a couple of hours, this no-show unnerved the locals but they remained oddly hopeful and waited for this team to show themselves.

A certain time later found five of the Six loitering around amidst the debris of a demolished parking garage that had landed on the bridge itself. As if the surrounding destruction wasn't enough to announce their presence, a lone kite flew high above the site, waving around as a result of fast winds on what was supposed to be a totally not windy day. The kite's controller was responsible for the effects, and watched on in rapt enthusiasm as he discreetly manipulated the wind currents in the atmosphere to his suiting.

The other four members present tried their best to quiet their lip, but after some time, one made noises of disapproval at the apparent kite enthusiast.

"For an American man, you are not morbidly obese or old, and you have a really unique habit. Mercury, perhaps you are not who you seem, no?"

The man with the spool swiveled in place to figure out whether his Russian partner was joking or accusing him, and dropped a devious grin when he understood.

"Cap'n, forget about America; isn't everyone fat when they get old?"

The somewhat portly figure that was enjoying a cigarette chewed up half of it in irritation, and spit it out as he leveled his posture to give both Merc and this Cap'n equally mean stares.

"Are you two greens calling me old?"

A silent headshake and shrill laugher was his response, and Faber sighed as he took out another cigarette and lit it up, the subsiding annoyance on his face clearly illuminated by the tiny flicker. On his right sat Sylvy, the middle-aged assassin with a resting constipation face, and on his left he was graced by the presence of the, oh so ever perfectly perfect Ryuu, who even without saying a word, still emanated that narcissistic attitude by checking himself out in the shards of glass that littered the area, and smiling in every direction for no apparent reason.

On orders to standby, these members of the Six had occupied the remaining bridge in order to entertain themselves and their bloodlust with any passersby or any foolish natives who tried to cross the bridge. What they were on standby for, Faber had some idea. However, if they hadn't found their man by now, then by all standards this mission was in vain.

However, their leader had his own standards, the highest standards.

He was probably moving about the district, employing his own methods to capture the individual they were looking for, and the power he or she held, but perhaps the bigger question here was of time. It wasn't wise to sit at the bridge for the rest of the evening, as at some point, the Turkish locale would defiantly oust them once and for all, and that would amount to no good.

Surely the wouldn't be here for long, would they? After all, their group's head always managed to catch his prey, and with precision like that, Faber figured that he'd be able to return to the states in no time. Maybe-

"There are three visitors approaching the bridge from the North end."

The other four perked up after their Russian comrade's sudden outburst and turned their faces towards the forward entrance of the structure. Mercury's kite slowly coasted back down to the camp as the group stood up and stretched for what looked like a quick errand. Sylvy alone pressed binoculars to his face, nodding in agreement when he saw for himself the three figures that calmly walked down the road. This certainly raised a question for him, but his line was immediately stolen by Merc.

"So Cap'n, do you think these guys could last more than 3 minutes with us?"

Well, that was undoubtedly the way the Cardinal of Wind tried to be subtle about his belligerence, and an answer was given in the form of a troubled frown.

"What I am most troubled about is the fact that their human signals are blinking."

"That doesn't answer the question, Captain."

As he took another look through the binoculars, he noted the rather mundane appearances of the advancing people. There was a European man in a doctor's lab coat on the right, a woman draped in scarlet on the left, and a figure clad in black and blue leading the pack down the lane. At this, Sylvy lowered his binoculars and glanced at the Six member they considered a 'human radar'.

"Blinking?"

The Russian moved his hand in circles as he tried to come up with an alternate explanation.

"It is more of blinking like stars blinking at night….sorry, I could only translate to blinking."

Ryuu swaggered forward in a grandiose manner, majestically placing a gentle hand on the man's shoulder.

"What our dear friend means to say is 'twinkling', but don't fret, my friends – the unexpected is one of the greatest presents that life gives us, so let's show our appreciation altogether!"

Such a comment earned an eye roll from the shotgun wielding Faber, whereas Merc carefully laid his kite to the ground and took a step forward to Ryuu's position, grinning as he cracked his knuckles.

"In simple English, let's show these bastards who they're casually strolling up to."

Without any hesitation, both the Cardinal of Wind and the Copycat released countless bursts of wind at their targets, and watched as the trio calmly kept walking toward the oncoming attack.

The attackers never thought that in that moment of conjuring, they'd be the ones attacked.

For one, a gigantic column of fire that was most likely originating from under the bridge had obliterated half the structure and blasted Faber skywards. The one called Captain had miraculously avoided being hit by the surprise attack, but suddenly faced an airborne foe in black and blue attire that grabbed him by his hair and threw him against the stone pillar that marked the exit side of the bridge. The grabbing did rip out some of his hair, but being tossed into stone face first was more than enough to knock him out.

This apparent ambush had taken them all by surprise, but Sylvy was able to teleport behind their sudden attacker. This advance was anticipated, as the retaliation's kick was met with a kick, and the dark clad man jumped back and faded away, muffler and all. With that moment to recover, Merc's face twisted with frustration as he knocked the lingering fire off the bridge with a cleansweep and allowed the others to regroup.

And oddly enough, those three advancing figures had somehow covered 200 feet in mere seconds and were now casually standing about at the mouth of the bridge. The sight of the leading Turkish man in black pants, blue jacket and black scarf, another Turkish woman at his side draped in red, and what looked to be a European doctor was all the Six cared about at the moment. As boiled as their blood was now, the remaining Six members gave up on Faber and muttered about checking on their Russian comrade. These three had whittled them down to allow for a fair 3 on 3, and to this the assassin grimly smiled at the thought of the conniving Merc being unhappy with the arrangement.

Spontaneous cheers and whoops of joy erupted from those Turkish people who had been watching the surprise attack unfold. It had raised their morale tenfold, but even more so, it had raised the temper of the Copycat who after certain mental limits were shattered, lost his cool and burst forth with laughter.

"Ah, you people rejoice over the same thing I do – a fair fight which I believe nobody here covets as much as I. Very well, your time to warm up is over."

The sanguine figure gave a mysterious smile and set her hand alight in response. Likewise, her two partners tightened their grips and stances, and after a moment, suddenly drew back.

Sylvy had an idea of what this initial manuever's aim was, but the Cardinal of Wind dashed forward, grinning as he shielded himself with a gust against the wall of fire that had suddenly spouted out of the terrain. The assassin shrugged as he and Ryuu followed his lead into a charge, and managed to withdraw his knife in time to block the leader's estoc.

He held his Turkish foe at bay for a moment, and quickly checked the battlefield; Mercury was busy against the scarlet woman whereas the gentleman copycat squared off against the doctor. Had he not been busy stopping the enemy's blade from slicing right down his face, perhaps he would have smiled. From experience, he knew his two comrades were more than enough to overwhelm their opponents, but as for him, he'd just have to step it up a notch.

Another two figures approached from his right, and Sylvy threw the leader off-balance, and with the opening, instantaneously flashed behind his incoming foes to strike them down. The kill landed in an instant, but between that split second to glance at his fallen foes and his standing enemy, he realized that something was really off – he had just killed men identical to his melee opponent. Upon whipping his blade into a more manageable stance, the assassin made the connection and gripped his blade's handle tightly. This guy was an Unbound like him, and from first glance, had the ability to produce clones. Was that it?

Both leapt forward and swung a heavy strike at each other, the impact throwing them off their solid standing, and with increased focus, they resumed their attack. He was somehow keeping up with the flurry of stabs and jabs that the Turkish contender's attacks consisted of, and after sidestepping to force him forward off-balance, flashed behind him. The older fighter had it in the bag, and thrust his blade in his foe.

He had killed the blue-haired leader, and now, the rest would-

The sudden clatter of metal made him spin in place to watch his foe slowly fading away and his knife a few feet in front of him. He gaped, and closed his mouth momentarily as he processed this information. Could this one possibly possess Phaser as well?

The question was answered as he was tapped on the left shoulder, and upon turning to face his intact opponent behind him, received a sucker punch to the face. Whatever his damage was, it wasn't natural as the shock reverberated throughout the assassin's frame and knocked him out completely. He crumpled in the face of his opposition, and the blue-haired fighter frowned at the sight, before stepping over and kicking the blade back to Sylvy's side as a kindness, if the man would even consider something like that as such.

With those purple hues that shone with victory, the leader glanced at the other two duels going on, and after judging the elemental users didn't need immediate help, rushed over in AK's direction. To be honest, he wasn't entirely certain how he could help the doctor-to-be, as once stirred up, was a potent opponent at all ranges sans close combat. And it looked like he had the upper hand here as he rapidly cycled through his hand activations, each corresponding to a different measure of telekinesis that was utterly overwhelming his gentleman foe.

"Yo veo, you can copy whatever I do, right? Copy this, you hijo de puta."

The Copycat gritted his teeth. He may have been able to copy one specific ability at an encounter and abuse it as much as he wanted, but what was this? How was this biracial bastard able to have more than one hand sign? If he possessed multiple abilities at the same time, by default the combination should not have let him be able to use any of them. But how was-

Instead of rocks and debris flying to hit him in turn, all the rubble and trash in the area travelled at nearly the speed of light to form an ironclad cylinder around the Six member, and AK turned on his heel, the banging and shouting that echoed from within the bastion being enough to call it a day. However, such a desperate man would at least his appreciate his frustration answered, and the medical student looked over his shoulder once more.

"It's called being Multibound, Mr. Fancy Pants. And for the record, I'm not going to admit you into my clinic."

The deed done, he smiled and gave his nearing ally a weak high five, before smacking his lips in disappointment and slapping the blue haired man on the back. The gesture's intention was understood, and as they hurried over to the remaining duel, the Turkish fighter broke into a wide smile at the expense of AK's own.

"Oi, where's your clinic?"

"It's still under construction."

"Without a medical license, you're gonna' be so illegal."

"Then I guess illegal won't nurse you back to health, will it?"

"I wouldn't want to get drugs from a quack doctor."

"Amigo, if you call me a quack doctor I'll let you die on the street."

As they reached the last battlefront, the large area-of-effect attacks forced them to slow their pace to minimize the risk of being hit by either of the two fighters. At first glance, it appeared that both of them were evenly matched, as one kept fending off the other's ranged spells, and vice versa. As AK stretched and started off to join the fray, his blue-haired companion stuck a hand out to stop him, and gestured wordlessly towards the remaining Six member.

The final matchup had not let up one bit, as Mercury faced off against his unknown adversary who appeared to toss fire effortlessly. Controlling the elements was an interesting ability, but the longer he fought, the more he started to fear what might be the case. Here he was, a very versatile fighter who had compete mastery over the winds, standing up against a complete stranger who likewise held control over flames. And yet, as he fended off a curveball fireball with a wind wall, it slowly dawned on him who he might be up against, and after ricocheting another one of his opponent's attacks, he stood adamant on the bridge, intent on getting an answer.

"Are you the Cardinal of Fire?"

The woman in the red cloak ceased to cast any further attacks, and displayed her annoyance with an uptight frown.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

As awkward as it was, Merc found himself explaining theory to the enemy he had been trying to kill for the past several minutes. At the very least, he figured he'd get some answers.

"You know….uhhh…like how almost nobody can manipulate the elements? Apart from you and me and a few others – we're called Cardinals."

Her frown didn't move one inch.

"I'm not interested in joining the Six."

Ah, the tragic circumstance of being misunderstood. Merc couldn't help but fly into an indignant rage.

"You don't understand – it's a group called the Cardinals, and they've kinda' been looking for you for the past 15 years!"

At this, she showed surprise to, and after a moment to process this information, stopped frowning.

"Have all the Cardinals joined scum groups like you have?"

A shade of embarrassment and annoyance crossed his face, and he more or less sputtered on the spot.

"Well….excluding me, the Cardinals are all supposed to be neutral, so no."

"Then it's settled."

The introduction of a third voice turned Merc's attention to the two others who were sitting at the periphery of their duel, who appeared to be listless and quite …bored? His eye twitched. Were they mocking him by waiting for their comrade? Whoever this dark clad man was, he had a death wish interrupting his fight.

"First we call your boss, then we'll kick all your asses out of our city. After that, we'll go check in with the Cardinals then."

The last Six member couldn't hold back a laugh.

"And how exactly are you going to bring 'the boss' back here?"

His merry mood instantly toppled at the sight of the blue-head's sly smile.

"Tell me, how flexible are you?"

))))

TO BE CONTINUED