"In recent news, Academy city was attacked and is now in talks of a war with the roman catholic church. Sources say that the roman catholic church is also creating its own esper program-"

"I can't believe this. Only academy city has the technology to make espers right? Even then it produces tons of level 0's like us."
"Yeah, I can't imagine there being others who can make espers as well. What do you think Ruiko?"

Blue eyes firmly planted themselves on the small celphone TV. She watched with a dazed sense of self-consciousness as she lied, "such a thing can't be possible."

But it was more than possible. It was real. Saten Ruiko was knee deep in this reality. A week after her episode, she was confronted with the fact that the rules that made up her world were not the only ones. Outside of this systematic way of life existed an even larger cycle. One that she was recently made aware of.

A different system.

A different set of rules.

A different way of doing things.

Magic... demonic arts... Devils...

"Eeh... You don't seem very excited. Isn't this your kind of thing Rui-chan?"

"What are you talking about? I'm only interested in urban legends. This isn't one of them."

She was laughing it off. But the truth was she was shaking inside. The word 'Devil' continued to resound in her mind. Normally, having such power would make her want to boast about it. But she couldn't. Elated as she was wth her power, one look at them reminded her of that bloodied scene that permeated even into her nightmared dreams. She didn't hate demons, especially not her demons. They were quite endearing once you got to know them. Waira was an old man that reminded just a bit of a grandpa, Kikimora was the opposite acting as a grandmother that doted on her often. Ofcourse there was also little Kijimuna who was just a sweet little fella. That's why she couldn't hate them. The past week had been spent getting to know each other better on Ruiko's suggestion. But Kikimora had said this:

"I don't mind honey. But you shouldn't get too attached. You will need to get stronger at some point."

Saten didn't understand that at all.

"It seems that they're making their move."

"You've ignored them for too long. Now that war's about to break out they see a chance."

"Their project is interesting."

"Is that why you called me here then? So that I don't interfere?"

"Oh no. Not at all. I actually want you to intervene. After all, the science side already has a representative in this race."

"... You can't mean- that girl?!"

...

"She's just a civilian Aleister!"

"Regardless, she has come in contact with one of them. This conflict will draw her in whether she wants to or not."

BEEP BEEP

"Ah. It seems one of them is going on a rampage now."

"I'll go deal with it. Even if the means are different. Magic is still magic. So a magician has to deal with this."

"Machine for machine, magic for magic. A devil for a devil, a summoner for a summoner."

"You don't mean to use that girl?"

"Did you not hear me say it? That girl's fate has already been drawn into this conflict. Wether she wills it or not, the battles will find her."

Saten waved her friends goodbye. It was afterschool and she had found herself unwilling to do some karaoke nor visit Uiharu at the judgement office. She's been doing less and less of those lately, the things she normally does that is.

She looks down at her phone. A folder in her inbox is blinking.

Laplace

There were three new mails in there. She's been getting them daily ever since that day. Her thumb hovered over the confirmation button, her face a mask of uncertainty as to what to do. After all, what would you do if you knew somewhere at some point in time, somebody was going to die and you know exactly how. They could be a stranger, they could be someone you know. It didn't distinguish between anyone. It seemed almost at random, the information would be arbitrarily given. Like a random call for help.

What could Saten do but heed that call?

At the start, Saten didn't pay it much mind. She had survived her ordeal, she was confident others could survive theirs. Laplace was probably real, but it was not accurate. That was what she believed and that was what she thought all that time. Until the day of her discharge from the hospital.

Laplace mail had warned her that an old man would be run over that day. She paid it no mind like usual. Getting run over was easily overcome, more so than her own trial of being raped and murdered. She was at the crosswalk then. Many people were walking, but one person in the scramble caught her eye. An old man hobbled along, alone and seemingly swept by the tide of people. Saten could not move to assist him in this dense number of moving bodies. Then someone screamed.

Metal crashed and panic rippled through the masses. Saten checked to see the source was an out of control truck careening down the street. People were getting out of the way as unfortunate cars that failed to do so were crushed underneath its girth. Saten motioned to make a break for it herself, but the forecast of death from Laplace held her in place.

Where was the old man?

She looked around in a panic. An old man was to be run over in the scramble crossing of the 7th district. It was to happen that morning right around the same time she was discharged. The moment of death foretold. It was this moment!

Saten found the old man pushed down on the ground. Her body moved, pushing against people who ran opposite her way. She tried to fight, she tried to push. But even as she did, she saw the terrified look on the old man's face. She watched his eyes flicker like he was watching his life flash before his eyes. Then she saw a number that she had not noticed resting over his head.

0

Deathclock. That was the name of that number's identity. Saten read about it in the supplementary tutorial documents provided along with the welcoming letter of Laplace. The numbers over a person's head represented the number of days left to live. And any number over 3 would not be shown.

0 days to live. The moment of death was now!

SPLAT!

Blood flew everywhere. The truck crushed the old man and scattered blood and viscera everywhere like a squeezed grape. Everything was red. The metallic smell of blood nauseously reminded her of the hospital. The smell of blood mixed in with antiseptic. Brief flashes of the night of her own ordeal flashed before her eyes before she emptied her stomach's contents and promptly passed out.

Ever since that day, Saten believed strongly in Laplace prophecy. Everyday, she would obtain the information necessary to save someone. Everyday, she obtained the means to save someone. And yet, everyday she arrived only in time to watch them die. In the end, everytime Saten set out to save someone, she could only watch the oppurtunity slip away with their life.

The last failure was three days ago. She watched a man be devoured by demons. His desecrated corpse left with gaping hollows as his innards had been scooped out as a snack. She screamed, screamed and unleashed her own demons to decimate those that wandered her home.

After that, she stopped. She couldn't open the mails anymore. Her heart wouldn't let her. She would break the next time she failed to save the next victim.

But today's mail was different. It was named specifically to her with the word: "URGENT!"

Saten hesitated. She didn't want to watch someone die again. But it was named for her. It was something specifically for her. This information would be relevant to her and only her.

She bit her lip.

Click

Her thumb pressed down heavily on the plastic numpad. The screen opened up to a custom font mail.

Welcome to Laplace

October 14

Today's event is a large scale riot at 7th mist after school. The event starts 4:30 PM. Espers of all levels will clash with anti-skill and Judgement in a jumbled conflict. Casualties will number 147, one of which is Judgement officer Shirai Kuroko after she is shot 3 times by an anti-skill rifle. Thank you and have a nice da-

TACK!

Saten flipped her phone shut. Her feet already running before she could even process the contents of her mail. She did not truly understand the system of demons or Laplace. She did not know the mechanics well enough to change fate successfully like she did to her own. She didn't have the strength nor the qualifications of a hero that allowed them to succeed where others fail. But her heart's conviction screamed one thing.

"I won't let my friends die."

Author's notes: As much as I would like to continue this, I don't think I my heart can do so. The very minimal feedback I get when I write this when I'm confused about direction really gives me a hard time. SMT is a series all about choices and these choices are not choices normally found in the TAMNI universe. I've never been good with making decisions so just taking this path is already hard. I apologize for getting your hopes up and thank you for reading this little ficlet.