Disclaimer: Angelic Layer is the creation of CLAMP. Any non-canon characters belong to me. Got that? ;o)
Dedicated to Firebird/Shutsumon and Phoenix from CCU, who never did get back to his AL fic :o) This is for you, guys.
Angelic Layer Neo: Tokyo
Chapter 5: Ayukawa's Announcement and Ringo's Idea
by HA
During school the next day, Misaki found people talking about her win at the Amor Burger Stop. Word about it had traveled by mouth, and everywhere she went, her fellow students swarmed her. Some praised her for her victory, with the girls gushing over her. Others asked her if she was afraid. A few gave her dirty looks. She couldn't help but picture them in black outfits with black shades and berets.
"Everyone give her some air!" Tamayo said after one such gathering after school. She waved the other kids away.
Koutarou placed his hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?"
Misaki sighed. "I wish I was."
"Why are you so down?" Tamayo grinned widely and punched skyward. "You showed that guy in gray that no one messes with Misakichi and Hikaru!"
Misaki sighed again. "Well..." She recalled Tomie standing before her. "It's that girl, Tomie-san."
Tamayo blinked at her. "What about her?"
"She said Angelic Layer was a war." Misaki rubbed her chin. "She didn't sound like she played for fun at all. She plays to win, that's all. Oh, I know you play to win and not lose, but she sounded like she took winning seriously, and what happened to Deathpincer..."
"Yeah, those Demon's Game guys take the game too seriously," Koutarou said.
"Those guys are crazy," Tamayo said. "I mean, if their Angels--"
"Demons," Koutarou said. "They call their Angels 'Demons'."
"Whatever!" Tamayo shot a look at Koutarou before continuing. "When their Demons lose, they blow up, and I didn't like the way that Tomie girl looked at you. It's like she wanted to rip Hikaru apart with her bare hands."
"I'm just wondering if she knows Jounouchi-san," Misaki said.
"Huh?"
"She looked at Jounouchi-san and wanted to fight Shirahime." Misaki folded her arms in front of her. "It seemed like they've met before."
"Maybe they did."
All three kids jumped in place. Chiaki stood next to Misaki with a smile.
"How do you keep doing that?" Tamayo said, clutching her chest.
Still smiling, Chiaki tilted her head. "Hmm? I just wanted to see how you were doing."
"Oh, I'm all right," Misaki said, trying to smile. "So you think Tomie-san knows Jounouchi-san?"
"It's possible," Chiaki said. "So no one's threatened you?"
Misaki shook her head. "No, not really."
"That's good to hear." Chiaki followed them as they headed towards the exit. "DG won't take that loss lightly. They will come after you, and the other Deuses will also probably suffer."
"Naaaaaaa?" Misaki's eyes widened.
Tamayo stood between Misaki and Chiaki, her arms outstretched at her sides. "How dare you upset Misakichi!"
"It does make sense." Koutarou stayed next to Misaki. "There's been a lot of talk around the school that DG might increase their attacks on Deuses because of Misakichi's win."
"I guess that explains why some people looked at me as if I did something bad," Misaki said.
Tamayo punched the palm of her hand and rubbed it in. Her mouth was upturned and showed off two rows of clenched teeth. "Oh, they did, did they?" She shook her fist towards the school. "Okay, anyone who gave Misakichi a dirty look today, get out here now!"
Misaki sweatdropped. "Um, Tamayo-chan, you don't have to..."
"Get out here now, you cowards!"
Koutarou shook his head and sighed. Chiaki leaned closer to Misaki. "Kizaki-san is...interesting," she whispered.
Misaki chuckled nervously. "Well, that's one way to put it..."
"Good afternoon, everyone," Hatoko said as she joined the group. She watched as Tamayo continued yelling towards the school. "What is she doing?"
"Calling out anyone who gave Misakichi a dirty look," her older brother answered.
Hatoko turned to Misaki. "Oh, I heard about your fight yesterday. My classmates were talking about it."
"Really?" Misaki said.
"Yes, they were happy you beat that crab-like Angel. Is Hikaru all right?"
Misaki glanced at her backpack. "No serious damage," she said with a smile.
"Suzuhara-senpai!"
Tora and his friends ran up to them. He bent over and gasped for air.
"Hello there," Misaki said. "What are you doing here?"
Basho clutched his chest. "Wanted...to...ask...you--"
Tora shot up. "Who you picked to be your disciple!"
Tamayo rolled her eyes back. "You're still wondering about that?"
"Well, we did get sidetracked because of yesterday," Basho said, standing straight.
Hikari groaned. "Why me?"
"You didn't have to come along," Tora said.
Hikari's breathing slowed. Her cheeks displayed a red blush. "W-W-Well, someone has to keep an eye on you..." The blush reddened further, and she cleared her throat loudly. "Er, I mean you two, of course."
The two boys faced Misaki. "So, who's your choice to be your disciple?"
Misaki edged away from them and chuckled nervously. Tamayo stretched out her arm and took her aside.
"You'd better make your choice soon, Misakichi," she said with a grin. "Of course, no matter what, Koutarou-chan will have a rival in love."
"What do you mean by that?" Koutarou said, glaring at Tamayo.
A white limousine with tinted windows pulled up to the curb. Koutarou blinked at the sight. "I wonder whose car that is."
The chauffeur, a thin man dressed in a pressed dark suit with matching cap and shoes, stepped out. "Suzuhara Misaki-san and Kobayashi Hatoko-san?"
"That's me," Misaki said.
"I'm Kobayashi-san," Hatoko said.
"Can we help you?"
The chauffeur gestured towards the car. "Your presence is required at the moment, so if you could please step inside."
Tamayo let out a whistle. "Whoa, nice car." She slapped Misaki on the back. "Come on, let's go!"
The chauffeur cleared his throat. "I'm afraid only Suzuhara-san and Kobayashi-san were invited."
"Oh come on." The passenger side window rolled down, and a head topped with blond hair styled into two long pigtails peeked out. "I'm sure you can make an exception for me, right?"
Misaki smiled and stared at the passenger. "Ringo-san!"
Seto Ringo smiled. "Hiya, Misakichi."
The chauffeur looked back and forth between Ringo and Misaki and her friends. "But my orders are--"
"Oh, it'll be fine. Misakichi's friends are always welcome." Ringo stared at Tora and his friends and tapped her chin. "Although, to be honest, and no offense to you guys, I don't know who those three are."
Tora gnashed his teeth and clenched his hands into fists, but before he could say anything, Misaki said, "Oh, they're my disciples. I'm teaching them how to play Angelic Layer."
"Disciples? That's wonderful!"
Tora stared at her. "You...you really mean it?"
"Yeah, do you?" Basho's eyes looked like they were about to unleash a pair of waterfalls.
Misaki nodded. "I do." She gave them a little smile.
Both boys stared at her, then enveloped her in a tight hug. "Thank you!" they both said.
"Naaaaa!" Misaki cried out from within.
"Let her go!" Hikari said.
Tamayo laughed and pulled Koutarou into a headlock. "Looks like you've got two love rivals now, Koutarou-chan!"
As Koutarou thrashed around in Tamayo's grasp and tried to breathe, the chauffeur cleared his throat again. "We should get going. We don't want to be late."
"Oh, right!" Misaki broke out of Tora and Basho's hug. "Can Toriyama-san come along, too?"
Ringo blinked. "Who?"
Misaki turned to where Chiaki was standing, but no one was there. "Naaaa?"
"Anyone getting creeped out now?" Tora said, raising his hand while staring at everyone. "Anyone?"
"Ahem," the chauffeur said.
"Um, we'd better get going," Ringo said.
The chauffeur opened the passenger side door, and Misaki and the others walked in. Misaki couldn't help but ooh and ahh at the sight of the interior. A flatscreen TV hung before the tinted window that separated the driver from his passengers. A mini-cooler sat in the middle. The seats were lined with red cushions that felt soft as she sat next to Ringo.
"Go ahead and help yourself," Ringo said, pointing to the cooler. "We've got soda and juice."
"So what's going on?" Misaki asked the pop idol as the limousine drove off.
"Sorry, can't tell you," Ringo said with a wink.
"Does it have to do with Angelic Layer?" Tora asked as he opened a soda can.
Ringo nodded. "And that's all I'm going to say." She turned to Misaki. "I heard about the Fight you had with that monster Angel."
"Whew, word sure spreads quickly," Tamayo said.
"So it is true the other Angel self-destructed?" Ringo asked.
Misaki nodded. "Yes."
"That's horrible." Ringo shook her head. "Some people take this game too seriously."
"Well, from what I heard, this Demon's Game group is really serious," Hatoko said. "They've been challenging other Deuses to Fights."
"Yeah, like they did to Suzuhara-senpai," Tora said. He pumped his fist. "But she beat that monster!"
"Unfortunately, I don't think DG will take that lightly," Hikari said.
"You think they might want revenge?" Basho asked before gulping down his soda.
"It's possible," Hatoko said.
Ringo broke the following silence. "Hey hey, let's talk about something more cheerful." She pulled out a remote and pushed a button. The TV displayed Ringo on a stage with microphone in hand and an audience before her. "Let's watch one of my concerts, shall we?"
Everyone spent the rest of the drive watching Ringo in concert. By the time the car stopped, everyone was in a better mood. Tora rushed out of the car first as soon as the door opened. "Whoa," he said.
After stepping out, Misaki stared at the sight before her. A skyscraper towered before her with rows of windows covering it. "Ayukawa Enterprises," she said, reading the sign above the entrance.
"Ayukawa? As in Ayukawa Eiji-san, the multimillionare and philanthropist?" Hikari said.
"That's right," Ringo said as she led the way through the sliding doors.
The lobby was spacious. People in business suits walked across the carpeted floor, some talking on their cell phones. The five elevators in the far wall dinged as passengers entered and exited.
Ringo led the way to the information desk, where a man dressed in a security guard uniform sat. "Seto Ringo, Suzuhara Misaki, Kobayashi Hatoko, and friends to see Ayukawa-san."
The security guard looked up something on a monitor. "Yes, you're here. He's expecting you in his office on the top floor with the others." He pulled out a drawer and fumbled through it before pulling out a bunch of plastic cards with cloth cords and metal clips. "Visitor passes. Wear them, don't lose them, and please return them when you leave."
With everyone wearing a visitor pass, Misaki and the others entered an elevator. Koutarou pressed the button for the top floor, and the door slid closed. As it ascended, Misaki couldn't help but keep her head down.
"So who's this Ayukawa guy?" Tora asked.
Hikari sighed. "You need to watch the news more."
"Don't wanna, can't make me. So who is he?"
"He's one of the richest men in Japan. He donated a lot of money to the hospital my mother works at. Specifically, the children's wing."
"Okay, but why does he want to see three of the top Deuses in Angelic Layer?"
"Because he's the commissioner for the Japanese Angelic Layer Association," Misaki said.
Basho looked at her. "He is?"
"We have a Japanese Angelic Layer Association?" Tora said.
"Yes, and it was formed as soon as the game became an international one," Hikari said. "Every country that's accepted Angelic Layer as a sport has one or is forming one right now, and Ayukawa-san volunteered to be the commissioner of ours."
"When did you meet him, Misakichi?" Hatoko asked.
"I met him after Hikaru's fight with Drago." Misaki raised her head. "He introduced himself, and then he...talked to me in private."
"Oh yeah!" Tamayo snapped her fingers. "The guy with the beard and light brown suit. The one who looks like Santa Claus, except a little thinner."
"What did you two talk about?" Ringo asked.
The elevator dinged, and the door slid open. Misaki stepped out with Ringo and followed her down a long hallway towards a pair of doors.
Ringo pressed a button next to the doors. "Seto Ringo, Suzuhara Misaki, Kobayashi Hatoko, and friends."
"Ah, do come in," someone said over a PA speaker.
Misaki gasped as soon as she stepped through the doors. Sai and Kaede were sitting in chairs in front of a desk covered with paperwork and a computer. They weren't the only ones. Misaki spotted the Fujisaki sisters sitting next to Mihara Ohjiro. All three waved at her and the others with smiles crossing their faces. Kaede smiled, and Sai nodded.
"Darling!" Tamayo said. She dashed up to Ohjiro. "I haven't seen you in a while. Where have you been?"
"Oh, just helping out my big brother with Angelic Layer stuff," Ohjiro answered.
A man in a brown suit looked up from his desk. He put down a picture frame and ran his hand through his thick white beard. "Ah, you're all here." He smiled and gestured towards the empty seats. "Come come, plenty for all."
Misaki joined the others in sitting down; she sat next to Koutarou. Commissioner Ayukawa stepped out from behind the desk and cleared his throat. "Well, glad all of you can make it as well as some additional guests." He beamed at Koutarou and Tamayo. "Good to see you two again, and most certainly not in a situation involving pain being inflicted on this young man," he said, nodding towards Koutarou.
Hatoko hid her mouth behind her hand as she giggled. Next to her, Koutarou gripped the armrests of his chair tightly.
"Now, down to business," Commissioner Ayukawa said. "For those who don't know me, I'm the commissioner of our local Angelic Layer Association. It's a voluntary position, and I'm glad to have taken it. I've gathered the top players from last season to discuss some items related to the sport." He leaned against his desk, his hand trembling a little. "I always start with the bad news..."
"Oh great," Tora muttered.
"...because it's best to get it out of the way." The commissioner turned to Misaki. "Misaki-chan, do you remember what we discussed after your Fight with Drago?"
Misaki bowed her head. "I do."
Commissioner Ayukawa's shoulders slumped. "I'm afraid it's come to pass."
Sai raised an eyebrow. "What's come to pass?"
"The Angelic Layer International Federation made its decision." Commissioner Ayukawa sighed deeply. "As of today, Suzuhara Misaki-chan and Hikaru can no longer participate in any official tournaments this season."
Gasps filled the room. Misaki forced herself to sit up straight. The others stared at her.
"Did...did you know about this, Misakichi?" Ringo asked.
Misaki nodded. "Okaasan said this might happen."
"What?" Tamayo shot out of her chair. "Why'd they do that?"
"That's not fair!" Fujisaki Arisu stood up, her hands balled into fists. "Suzuhara-san fought hard to win last season's national tournament. Why isn't she being allowed to defend her title?"
Fujisaki Madoka put her hand on her younger sister's shoulder. "Arisu..."
"It's not fair!" Arisu's eyes looked like they were about to let loose a flood of tears. "She loves the game, and I wanted to face her in the Layer again at the tournament, and..." She slumped into her chair and sniffled. "It's just not fair."
"I must agree," Sai said. "Why is Suzuhara unable to participate in official tournaments?"
"Because the Federation feels Hikaru must avoid anything that might wear her down before the World Championship Tournament." Commissioner Ayukawa clung onto the edge of his desk. "As you all know, Misaki-chan and Hikaru are the Prize Fight for the winner of the World Championship--"
"So that disqualifies her from playing the game she loves?" Arisu said.
Commissioner Ayukawa cleared his throat. "The majority of the Federation's commissioners feel Hikaru is too powerful to participate in any official tournaments this season."
"Too powerful?" Hatoko said.
Tora raised his hand. "I hate to say this, but they might have a point."
"You're not helping!" Arisu and Basho said, causing Tora to wave his arms in the air and to almost fall back in his chair.
Arisu leaned back in her seat. "I suppose that Commander Dragon put them up to it. His Angel did lose to Hikaru."
"Actually, he was for allowing Hikaru to participate in official tournaments," Commissioner Ayukawa said. "In fact, the American Association voiced its opposition to the proposal. In addition to her own, the American commissioner presented Commander Dragon's opinion, which was--and I quote--'Deuses and their Angels must keep playing in order to stay strong. To deny Misaki and Hikaru the right to participate in official tournaments will not benefit them. In the name of justice, peace, and love, to keep them out of the sport they love, even for just a season, is a true injustice.'"
"That's Commander Dragon, all right," Koutarou said.
"Guy's a weirdo," Tamayo said. "I mean, why does he dress and act like that?"
"I thought he looked cool," Basho said.
"So not everyone was against Misaki-san being in the tournaments?" Kaede asked.
"No, no they weren't." Commissioner Ayukawa shook his head. "Unfortunately, they were in the minority when the Federation voted. The official announcement will be released tonight, but I thought you'd all like to hear about it from me first."
Koutarou turned to Misaki. "Are you all right?"
"I'll be fine." Misaki steadied herself. "It'll only be for one season, and I can still play for fun and earn points in casual Fights, right?"
"That is true, Misaki-chan," Commissioner Ayukawa said. "Just think of it as a vacation. A...break from the sport."
"It's still not fair," Arisu said, glaring at him.
"Um, moving on..." Commissioner Ayukawa ran his hand through his beard, then beamed at everyone. "All right, enough bad news. Here's the real reason I called you all here. Seto-san, if you please."
Ringo stood up and joined the commissioner. She glanced at Misaki before speaking. "Well..." She cleared her throat, her eyes still on Misaki. "I had an idea that will help promote Angelic Layer and raise money for a worthy cause."
"Which is...?" Tora said. A second later, Hikari smacked him on the arm, causing him to wince.
Ringo's mouth slowly curled into a smile. "An event that combines music and Angelic Layer, of course. An Angelic Layer festival."
Tora blinked. "An Angelic Layer...festival?"
"To benefit the arts," the commissioner said. "I want to encourage people to use their imaginations and talents to benefit society. You know, singing"--Ringo beamed at this point--"dancing, acting, drawing..." He glanced towards his desk and didn't speak until a minute later. "Anyway, we'd like your input on this idea."
"Sounds good to me," Basho said.
"Yeah, sounds like fun," Tora said.
"Hmmmm...where would this festival be held?" Sai asked.
"We're thinking near Tokyo Tower," Ringo said.
"And it will be open to the public?"
"Of course."
Sai tapped her chin. "So what will be happening at the festival?"
"Oh, we'll have food booths since some of the local businesses are planning to sell food. Some game booths as well. I'll be singing, of course." Ringo beamed. "We'll also have some Layers set up so people can play Angelic Layer."
"Hmmmm..." Sai looked at Commissioner Ayukawa. "Sir, do you think it's a good idea to have such a large scale Angelic Layer event right now?"
"Oh? Why do you think that, Jounouchi-san?" the commissioner asked.
"I think she's referring to the Demon's Game organization," Kaede said.
Basho frowned. "You think those jerks will show up and ruin the festival?"
"I wouldn't be surprised," Sai said. "All those Deuses in one place--it's a tempting target for DG."
"Why don't we let them show up?" Madoka raised her fist. "We can take those monster Angels on."
"I like her style," Tora said, grinning.
Hikari scowled and smacked his arm again. He winced and rubbed the spot.
"Would they dare do anything in public?" Commissioner Ayukawa said, his heand running through his beard.
"I wouldn't put it past them," Sai said. "They believe they're at war with us."
"Then wouldn't it make sense for us to fight back?"
"We should fight back," Madoka said. "I've heard stories of monster Angels beating regular Angels. Why shouldn't we fight back?"
"Did you ever see what happens to those defeated Angels?" Sai asked. "A boy had his torn to pieces."
"Not to mention what happens to a DG Angel if it loses," Hikari said.
"But DG isn't invincible!" Tora gestured to Misaki. "After all, Suzuhara-senpai and Hikaru defeated that Deathpincer thing."
"Misakichi and Hikaru kicked that thing's butt!" Tamayo said, pumping her fist into the air.
Sai frowned. "I'm afraid they're not finished with Hikaru yet."
"What are you saying? Are you saying Misakichi can't beat them?"
"No, but they seem bent on eliminating any Angel they see as a threat."
"Misakichi can beat them all!" Tamayo jumped out of her seat, her fist raised towards the ceiling.
Misaki sweatdropped. "Tamayo-chan..."
"We need to remember that we're not dealing with one Deus, but a whole army of them," Sai said firmly.
"An army?" Commissioner Ayukawa said. "Are we at war with them?"
"They said they're at war with us," Madoka said. "I'd say 'army' is a fitting term."
The commissioner sighed and ran his head through his beard. "It's the Association's official policy that Deuses avoid engaging in fights with DG members outside of official events."
"I don't think that'll stop them from fighting us," Tora said.
"Can we get back to the festival?" Ringo asked, her hands clasped together and her gaze darting left to right.
"We are discussing the festival," Sai said. "I'd like to know how safe it will be with DG running around."
The commissioner cleared his throat loudly. "Yes, well, back to the festival, I'll have my best security team on the grounds to make sure nothing bad happens. Any trouble happens, they'll take care of it."
"Will they be keeping DG members out of the festival?"
Commissioner Ayukawa shook his head. "That wouldn't be fair. We can watch them, but they'll be kicked out only if they do something wrong."
"That would be a mistake."
"I'd like to say something," Ohjiro said, raising his hand. "My brother's been analyzing a piece of the Deathpincer Demon."
Tora blinked. "When did you get a piece of Deathpincer?"
"How is the analysis going?" the commissioner asked.
Ohjiro shrugged. "We just started the analysis. Results should be in by tomorrow."
"That's helpful," Arisu said.
"Well, we can't do anything about that for now," Commissioner Ayukawa said. "Let's continue discussing the festival. Any suggestions for it?"
Misaki looked at her hands in her lap as everyone else talked about the festival. She could hear the words coming from the others, but she focused on her own thoughts. It was fair she and Hikaru wouldn't be participating in official events except as the Prize Fight for the World Championship, right? Hikaru was too powerful, wasn't she? That was why Demon's Game was out to destroy her, right? They wouldn't stop until Hikaru and every other Angel was destroyed, right?
"Misakichi?"
Misaki looked towards Hatoko. "Um, yes?"
"We'd love your input on what we should have at the festival."
Misaki tapped her forefingers together. "Um..."
Ringo raised an eyebrow and leaned in. "Misakichi, are you okay?"
"You don't look all right," Koutarou said.
"Oh my." Commissioner Ayukawa walked up to her. "What's the matter, Misaki-chan?"
"Well..." Misaki blinked. "Are we expected to attend the festival?"
Tamayo laughed a little. "That's what we just agreed on, silly."
"It would be nice if Japan's best Deuses were there," Ohjiro said.
"And that includes you, Misakichi," Ringo said, smiling.
Everyone else looked at her with a smile, even Sai. Misaki felt her hands shake. "Um, maybe I shouldn't attend."
All of them gasped, their jaws dropping. "What?"
Misaki almost jumped out of her seat. "I mean, maybe DG won't show up if I don't show up, and since I can't participate in official events..."
"Misaki-chan, you can't participate in official tournaments only," Commissioner Ayukawa said. "I'd be all right if you came to the festival."
"I doubt DG won't show up if you don't show up, Suzuhara," Sai said.
"And I think we can hold our own if they do show up, right?" Madoka smiled, waving her fist. Everyone else nodded.
"Besides, we could have a little rematch in the public Layers," Arisu said.
Misaki looked from face to face. Everyone was still smiling. After a while, she let herself smile back. "All right, I'll come. Hikaru and I, we'll come to the festival."
Cheers broke out from the others. "You won't regret it, Misakichi! It's gonna be fun!" Ringo said.
Misaki hoped she would be right.
Commissioner Ayukawa watched as everyone left. The meeting had taken an hour, but he didn't mind. He wanted the Angelic Layer charity festival to go smoothly, and having the input of the best Deuses helped a lot. He silently thanked Seto Ringo for the idea.
He sat behind his desk and sighed. Fujisaki Arisu was right. It was unfair for Misaki-chan to be kept out of official tournaments for the current season. Hikaru too powerful? Athena was considered the most powerful Angel in existence before the game became an international one, and she was still allowed to participate if Shuuko felt like it. He rubbed his temples and wondered if he had made the right choice by volunteering for this position. After all, he had a company to run.
He shook his head. No, he made the right choice. The Japanese Angelic Layer Association was brand new and couldn't afford to pay a commissioner at its current stage. He couldn't blame them for being surprised when he put his name in for volunteer commissioner. Of all the people to be considered, Ayukawa Eiji wasn't the first person people thought of being a lover of Angelic Layer. Didn't he once say that it was a waste of time to fight with dolls?
He picked up the framed photograph and looked at it. His younger self stared at him, his mouth forming a perfectly straight line. Besides him, a young boy in clothes that looked too uncomfortable for him looked away from him, his mouth forming the perfect scowl. A sketchbook was tucked under his arm. Between them, a woman wearing a blue dress smiled.
Commissioner Ayukawa sighed and ran his forefinger over the boy's face. "I know you can't hear me, but I'll say it again. I'm sorry for being a fool as well as calling you a disgrace to the family. I hope someday you'll forgive me for being a stubborn old fool."
He bowed his head and closed his eyes, hoping somehow his words would reach the boy.
No one spoke as everyone handed over her or his visitor's pass to the front desk guard. The limousine ride proved to be livelier with Ringo giving everyone a preview of what songs she would be singing at the festival. Misaki didn't listen to the singing and following applause. In fact, she kept her eyes on her hands.
Would it be a good idea to go to the festival? Yes, it sounded fun, especially with all the activities planned, and the food was sure to be great. But did she really want to go, especially with Demon's Game out to destroy Hikaru and every other Angel? The festival would be ideal for them. All those Deuses and their Angels--DG would target them, especially Hikaru, if she decided to come. But what if she didn't come and DG started fighting the other Deuses? Shouldn't she be there to help fight them off? Hikaru defeated Deathpincer; it was possible for her to fight a Demon. But what if the next Demon proved to be stronger than Deathpincer and tougher than Hikaru? DG created monsters; maybe they had one ready to take out Hikaru. Maybe...
"Hey."
Misaki looked towards Arisu, who was sitting next to her older sister with her arms folded. "Um, yes?"
"You're not going to go back on your word and not come to the festival, are you?"
"Um..."
"Excuse my sister," Madoka said, smiling. "She just wants Alice to fight Hikaru again."
"I've come up with some new fighting techniques," Arisu said. "You and Hikaru won't beat us this time."
"You should come, Misakichi," Tamayo said as she hugged Ohjiro as tightly as she could. "It'll be fun, right, darling?"
Ohjiro nodded, his face turning an interesting shade of red.
"You've gotta come, senpai!" Tora said, his hands balled into fists. "It's my chance to prove to everyone that Zero is powerful!"
"You mean you'll get the chance to let people see Zero get his butt kicked repeatedly," Basho said.
Tora glared at him. "You want Zero to kick Baraxus's butt right here and now?"
Basho grinned back. "Would love to see you try."
Hikaru sighed while massaging her temples. "There's no Layer in here."
"We won't let anything happen to Hikaru and the other Angels," Sai said. "DG won't find us to be easy prey."
Kaede nodded. "Besides, Ayukawa-san said he would have his best security team there."
"And you owe me a rematch!" Arisu said. "Since Alice can't fight Hikaru in an official tournament, I want them to fight at the festival."
Misaki stared at the younger girl. She gave her answer after a moment of silence. "I am coming to the festival." She smiled. "It would be nice to face you in the Layer again."
Arisu bowed her head. "Thank you."
Hatoko clapped her hands together. "My, that will be an interesting Fight."
"Let's make it a fun one," Misaki said.
Arisu nodded, her mouth curled upward.
"You don't fool me," Madoka said after she waved goodbye to the departing limousine.
Arisu still held her hand up mid-wave as she stared at her sister. "Hmm?"
"You always did have trouble expressing your true feelings."
"Wh-wh-what are you talking about?" Arisu's cheeks turned crimson.
Madoka smiled. "Well, it makes sense. We Deuses do bond with each other through Angelic Layer, and besides, it's nice to have a friend rather than an enemy, right?"
Arisu bowed her head. "I...I suppose."
Madoka laughed and patted her sister on the shoulder. "Let's go inside," she said, jabbing her thumb towards the house behind them.
"You're still worried about Demon's Game," Kaede said as the limousine drove away.
Sai frowned. "They're persistent. They won't rest until they win this so-called war."
They started walking together. "That girl, the one who called herself Tomie," Kaede said. "It seemed like she knew you."
Sai tapped her chin. "I'm not so sure why anyone would have a grudge against me."
"It's puzzling, isn't it?" Kaede smiled.
Sai's mouth curled slightly upward. "I suppose it is."
The two girls continued walking. All the while, Sai searched her memory.
"Everything will be all right," Koutarou said as he walked Misaki to the door.
Misaki sighed. "It's a shame I won't be able to fight in official tournaments."
"But you'll be fighting the World Champion!" Tamayo said. "You'll show that Deus why you're the best in the world!"
Misaki looked skyward and smiled.
"Huh? Why are you smiling, Misakichi?"
Misaki turned to her friends. "I'll be fighting the World Champion. I mean, we'll be seeing Deuses from other countries, and I get to fight the best one among them." She kept her gaze skyward. "I wonder how the foreign Angels will be like..."
"It won't matter, because you'll kick all their butts!" Tamayo pumped her fist into the air.
Koutarou put his hand on Misaki's shoulder. "I hope you'll be all right."
Misaki's cheeks heated up. "Koutarou-chan..."
"Oh give me a break!" Tamayo spun around and kicked him in the face. After he crashed to the ground, Tamayo rolled him onto his stomach and got him into the camel clutch. "If you want to make kissyface with Misakichi, you must defeat me in battle!" she said as she bent his head back as far as it could go.
"Naa!" Misaki said, her arms waving in the air.
"What do you mean you haven't found anything different?"
Ogata backed away from Chief Mihara. "Well, sir, the arm doesn't seem any different from any other Angel part aside from extra mass."
Chief Mihara lowered the paper fan and rubbed his chin. "Extra mass, you say?"
"Yes, sir."
Chief Mihara rubbed his forehead. "Keep running any test you can come up with."
"But sir--"
"Just do it!"
Ogata almost jumped towards the office door. "Okay, sir."
"Oh, and one more thing."
"Yes, sir?"
"If you don't find anything that can help us, I'll kill you."
The office door flew open and slammed shut within a couple of seconds. The sound of rapid-moving footsteps filled the air.
"You really shouldn't be so tough on him."
Chief Mihara turned to Shuuko and shrugged. "Hey, it gets him to work hard." He rubbed his forehead. "What a puzzle, though."
Shuuko blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that no one has access to the technology that created the Angels and everything else in Angelic Layer except Imagitech, and Winston is just coming up with new accessories like the portable Layers and Impact Light weapons. He's not creating Angels right now."
"Maybe they just bought their Angels like everyone else."
"Maybe, but that doesn't explain how they can modify their Angels to that degree, not to mention how they came up with portable Layers before we could."
"Couldn't it be someone else who knows about the technology?"
Chief Mihara sighed. "Winston and I are the only ones." He rubbed his chin with the end of the paper fan. "Well, the only ones alive, at least."
"I see." Shuuko leaned against the desk.
"You heard about Misaki?"
Shuuko nodded. "Ayukawa-san called me. He said she took it well."
"She's a strong girl," Chief Mihara said. "Still, it's unfair."
"There's always next season."
"Care to tell her that?" Chief Mihara grinned.
Shuuko's face became tomato red, and her body shook. "Um, um..."
Chief Mihara paced back and forth in the middle of his office. "Now how the heck could Demon's Game get their hands on the Angel technology?"
"You shouldn't stress out over it," Shuuko said, her face now back to her normal skin tone. "After all, you and Culpepper-san have people looking into it."
"That's true, and they did get us that sample." Chief Mihara rubbed his chin. "Still, I can't let Demon's Game run around and destroy Angels. I can't stand toys being destroyed, especially ones people put a lot of work into making." He frowned. "And they want Hikaru destroyed, and this festival..."
"You don't think it's a good idea?"
"It'd be a great idea if those DG thugs weren't running around."
"Ayukawa-san said he'll have the best security at the festival."
Chief Mihara rested the paper fan across his shoulders and behind his neck. "I hope so. I really hope so."
