To LoamyCoffee, yes I am indeed a man of culture and the "Ultra Training Mail" is-in-fact from what you think it is; it just has a different color scheme since this one was made for use at Yuuei instead of Setouchi.
As for the idea of "Elevator/Escalator Schools", the first time I learned of the concept was from Mahou Sensei Negima!, where Mahora Academy ranges from Grade School all the way up to the University level. Mahora in-universe has a student population of 30,000 and the grounds are large-enough to be considered its own city district. That doesn't have any bearing on Another Hero Academia: Out of Time, but as a self-insert story, this is the sort of association that Takei, a former American who was a softcore otaku, would make with the term.
Now, while Yuuei in of itself definitely does not have an affiliate Escalator School, given the absolute "exclusivity" in terms of accepted applicants and how teens from the world over strive to go, but it wouldn't be implausible for other Hero Academies to have affiliates to act as a "portal" for new talent.
Off the top of my head, let's say that Seiai Academy, Hero Academy for Saiko Intelli, has a partnership with a nearby Junior High School. The reason for this would be so that Seiai has a greater say in what "condition" each year's crop of students from the surrounding area arrive in. Mina Ashido and Denki Kaminari for example made it into Yuuei's Hero Course, but given they're kind of dumb, I imagine they only barely passed the written exam and LEANED on their Practical to get in. Assuming that Seiai takes in a portion of its students from a dedicated source, that translates into "a guaranteed amount of excellence" in its future attendees. Thus, Seiai would hypothetically maintain a steady quality in its graduates instead of randomly fluctuating.
Now, given Yuuei has 11 separate Classes of assuming-20, times-3 for all of its Years, you have a standing student population of around 660 assuming for no deaths or death-like symptoms. By Japanese law, class sizes are capped at 40, so it's perfectly plausible that some Hero Academies of lesser renown would have more than 20 students in each Hero Class, and by extension, a larger student population overall. That certainly means there's room for partnerships between Junior High Schools and Hero Academies (High Schools).
And this is what it's like to live inside my head in relation to detail and worldbuilding.
Thefallenjedi66: Lt's go fuq up some cogboiis!
Re: Assuming you mean cyborgs from "Bort-sensei's" Murakami Junior High School, while I doubt any of the students would have "Chrome", understandably, Tekai/I would be wary of an educator who formerly mandated cybernetic augmentation in the workplace. He wouldn't frown upon the practice per-se, but he would be wary of it since people can lose themselves to a case of the "Mods & Upgrades".
Off the top of my head, Adam Smasher from Cyberpunk and Cyberpunk 2077 comes to mind.
Reason I mention the TTRPG is because I actually have a physical copy~
Harleking31: That Fales King of Boob Lovers is no king of mine
Re: I take it you're an ass man? Or maybe a leg man? Maybe tight tummies are your thing?
Takei for his part being surrounded by the fairer sex, would have a more nuanced view of female beauty than his peers (Reincarnation notwithstanding) given his immediate (Found) Family has a Klutzy Nurse, an Office Lady, a Rocket-Boobed Shock Trooper, a Washboard, a Loli, and a Titty Monster.
Just a little behind-the-scenes there.
Bee-tee-dubs, I changed up the Summary for something a little more hammy and whimsical since the story took a different direction than what I intended. Anyone want to tell me what they think about the change in the Reviews section, I'd really appreciate it.
*AHA*
A couple days later, a break in the monotony occurred at the school gates.
While most people walked, there was a usable road, so someone coming to school by car in of itself wasn't unusual. What was unusual was that the vehicle in question was a classy black stretch limo, countless students gathered excitedly around the gates with rapt attention.
"I reeeeally hope that isn't anyone I know in there."
"And how many people do you know who'd come to your school in a limousine?" Mitsumi deadpanned, not even changing personas.
"Yaoyorozu Momo or Meroune Lorelai Du Neptune."
"Okay, so, you actually do know people who might come to your school in a limo…" she conceded. "But what I'm wondering is, why would that be a bad thing?"
"It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, I actually would be kinda happy if we went to school together… I just don't want my school life to have any more drama than it does now," I deadpanned as my hand went to my Dive Ball.
"Well, I don't think you'll have to worry about that," Mitsumi shrugged pointing him towards the limo as the chauffeur came around and opened the door. Turning my attention, I saw a boy and a girl step out, both in the local school uniforms.
The boy, if the uniform was any indicator as to self-identity, was short and mousy with a pair of large mouse ears poking up through gray shoulder-length hair, a thin lightly-furred tail sticking out of a hole in the back of his pants. More "cute" than "handsome", it was hard to tell his exact age since body morphologies could make any one of any age look like any other age.
The girl on the other hand gave off a major "Ojou-sama" vibe with her fancifully-tied ribbon over golden hair done in ringlets. What stood out about her were the pink horns above each eyebrow, the tips slightly dulled as opposed to Tio's which could poke a hole through a car roof, the lacy black gloves over her hands, her lengthened skirt, and the black stockings leaving little of her skin actually exposed. While her attire was modest, the way she looked at those around her positively reeked of haughtiness. Which had me wondering why the hell someone like here was going to a public school.
"And like that, this is no longer any of my problem."
"Oh? Not interested in the new transfer students?" Mitsumi inquired as I moved to put away my bike.
"Not unless they're in my class."
*AHA*
The Uwabaki was scarcer than usual; probably because the new transfers were drawing so much attention.
Not that it was any problem of mine. Just meant I could swap out my shoes in peace. After what happened to Hanyuu, my fellow students were hesitant to carelessly approach me with intent to pester.
"Takei-kun, good morning!"
"Hanako-chan, good morning," I returned, the hand reaching into the locker stopping short.
"Hm? Something wrong?" the Quirkless girl inquired.
"Ah, no, nothing's wrong. Nothing at all," I waved off. "By the way, did you see the new transfers?"
"Kind of impossible not to," Hanako replied as her eyes followed my extended finger, allowing me to slip my shoe locker's new tenant into my blazer. "What do you think an 'Ojou-sama' like her is doing here?"
"Don't know, but unless they're in my class, I don't have the bandwidth to care," I replied as I swapped my shoes.
"I guess you kind of do have a lot on your plate…" Hanako hummed as she adjusted her glasses. "If you ever need help with anything, please don't hesitate to ask me. I am the Class Rep after all," she said putting a hand on my shoulder.
"Thank you. I'll be sure to keep that in mind," I replied with my hand on hers, the girl blushing cutely before stepping away with a smile on her face.
"Come on, Takei-kun! Classes won't attend itself!"
*AHA*
Thankfully, the new drama of the day was isolated to the next room over, making the two transfers Mitsumi's problem instead of my own.
As in quite literally since she was the Class Rep of 1-B; and the elections must've happened one of the weeks I was out or I just blanked on it with all of my own bullshit going on, because Mitsumi was also Student Council President. The new Student Council was still getting sorted out what with Top-chan frightening away "the unworthy", but thankfully Mitsumi left well enough alone and didn't ask me to get involved with school politics despite pointing out my seeming maturity to the person in question on repeated occasions.
No-one in my class had superficially injured themselves to stare at Hitomi's boobs, and no-one else had been bitten by my pet Land Shark, so on that front, things were quite dandy as well.
What had my attention the most during the day however came up again at lunch, which I'd taken to eating on the roof.
As I sat down in a shady spot, I idly noticed that a section of the fencing was less weather-worn than the rest; a given since it was the section of fence I'd been tackled through before using my would-be killer as a meaty airbag.
"So. The infamous 'Locker Mail'," Kuromi hummed as she climbed out of the nearby shadow.
"I know where this is heading~" Shiori beamed slipping under the door like something from Paper Mario.
"It's just requesting a meeting, and it isn't a threat since the hand that penned this did it in impossible-to-misinterpret English. I mean Japanese," I reiterated as I looked down at the pink piece of stationary.
"Right~ 'Meeting'~" Shiori hummed making dramatic air quotes.
"You gonna go?" Kuromi asked.
"Might as well. And on the off-chance it's a trick, I'll just do my homework while I wait instead of standing around like a complete jackass," I shrugged as I pocketed the letter. "So, what did you think of the new students?"
"Like they have the sort of drama you'd only be able to get from the source material instead of here," Shiori hummed thoughtfully as she looked 'outward'.
*AHA*
Pre-Isekai, the most-memorable "Love Letter Lunacy" scene I can recall came from Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu. On that particular occasion, a teenage mercenary spent hours hiding in the bushes wearing a ghillie suit armed with a shotgun because he misinterpreted a love letter for a death threat. Of course, the guy did blow it up with military grade plastic explosives in another fit of paranoia, thus giving him very little to work off of. Though admittedly, back in what I think are the 90s in-universe, people had been getting killed with letter bombs.
As for me, it wasn't that I immediately assumed the letter was a fake, or even specifically a love letter at all, but on the off-chance whoever sent it got cold feet and left me waiting, I might as well have done some of my homework.
*Beep*Beep*Beep*Beep*
The customary hour-or-so elapsing with no-one else passing by behind the gym, just as I made to get up and head home-
"Takei-kun!"
"Hanako, hello there," I greeted the bespeckled girl as she rounded the corner. "What brings you around these parts?"
At this the Quirkless girl grew pensive, unable to look me in the eye as she twit her thumbs.
I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt since even if she wasn't saying it out loud, it was obvious that the Anonymous By Choice from the letter was her.
Which was a pretty retro way to phrase it since just "Anonymous" would've been enough.
"I… I… I have something to tell you!" she said with a determined look in her eye; not one you'd normally associate with a confession.
"Alright. I'm all ears," I hummed, my Lombax-like ears flaring to the sides a bit, the gesture making the girl giggle prettily before she coughed into her fist and looked me in the eye..
"Li… Li-Li-Li-Li…!" Hanako stammered, brows furrowing as she mustered her courage.
Liiiiii…?
"Lic Lac La Lac Lilac!" she intoned as she whipped out her hand, a magical circle the color of firelight manifesting at her feet.
Dave the Diver OST – Shooting Star (JPN)
The air suddenly feeling energized, a lateral beam of light rose up from the circle before taking the form of a crooked wooden staff of dark wood, the end adorned with a large key ring toting a gray skull and a black tapered lock of hair, while the underside of the crook sported lozenge-shaped gemstones in blue, red, green, and yellow respectively.
Hanako taking hold of the crook-shaped staff, which was adorned just-below with white bandages and a pink ribbon, after her nails turned pink in sequence, the middle schooler then began to twirl it like a baton as her body turned technicolor (and also naked) as multiple bands of flame swirled around her arms, legs, midsection, and her hair as the braids unfurled.
Her technicolor body bleeding into bright crimson, the bands closed around her body causing new attire to manifest piecemeal before she struck a cute pose, her arms out to the sides and her staff held out horizontally behind her back.
Transformation sequence complete, Hanko was now sporting black pointed steel-toed boots with belts instead of laces, the tops of the boots flaring out around deep pink calf-highs with white trim, a white blouse that stopped mid-thigh with black frills, a brown belt with silver buckles around her waist, a black sporty thigh-length coat with deep pink trim and stripes down the forearms and a stylized white witch hat wearing skull on the left shoulder, a matching ribbon on the right lapel and two enamel pins on the left. Tying the whole look together was a black witch hat with a deep pink ribbon adorned with a silver cutesy skull ornament, the end of the witch's hat decorated with a silver bell.
As an added shock, her hair had grown out to back-length and turned salmon-colored, her eyebrows thinning considerably, and her eyes turning cool green and glittering like gemstones.
"I'm Yuna Springfield, and this is no costume-I'm a legitimate witch trainee!" the salmon-haired girl called out in practiced English.
*AHA*
When Yukimura Hanako had decided to reveal her greatest secret to the boy she was developing feelings for, she'd expected the usual responses to the confrontation that Magic was real and his "plain, frumpy classmate" was a real-life Magical Girl.
What she had not expected him to say was-
"Am I being Punk'd?"
-with a completely straight face.
" . . . Eh?" Hanako blinked her now-greeneyes.
"Seriously, where's the camera?" Takei continued, looking around. "I swear, if I wasted an hour of my life on some mundane bullshit-"
"Th-This isn't an American prank show!" Hanako called out, getting his attention. "It's-"
"Wait, are you legit magic?"
"Eh?" Hanako blinked once-more.
"You must be really good at hiding it, 'cause I never would've figured," Takei hummed aloud.
"EHHHHHHHHH?!"
*AHA*
Thankfully, Hanako had warded the place off so we'd have some modicum of privacy, otherwise that outcry would've brought in faculty and make her lose her nerve all over again.
"Hold on, is Yuna Springfield your real name and 'Yukimura Hanako' a front, or is 'Yuna Springfield' your magical alter-ego with a surname so people will think you don't have a normal-schoolgirl alter ego?"
"Th-The latter…" Hanako (Yuna?) replied. "You're… You're really not surprised by this?" she asked as she spun on her heel, her skirt and coat flaring out briefly revealing black biker shorts underneath.
"I was momentarily caught off guard when you pulled a 'Sailor Mars' on me, but I bounce back quickly in the face of the unexpected," I returned. "Soooo… What's with the look?"
"Oh, it's a Glamour I use to get bigger tips!" she smiled prettily.
" . . . I'm gonna give you the benefit of the doubt and just not automatically assume this is for something sketchy."
"I-It isn't!" the now-salmon-haired girl squeaked, having caught my meaning. "Café Strega is completely wholesome!"
"Café Strega… I think I've heard the name once or twice, but I've never been."
"Well, now's your chance!" she beamed as she hopped onto her staff, riding it sidesaddle like a witch's broom. "Come on! I want you to meet everyone!"
"Isn't 'Takehiko Tokei' suddenly knowing 'Yuna Springfield' going to draw unneeded attention?" I asked looking at her outstretched hand. "Like, isn't the whole Yukimura Hanako/Yuna Springfield connection supposed to be a secret."
"Crap, I didn't think of that…" she cursed, biting her thumbnail.
" . . . Well, I have a little transformation magic of my own, so I guess it's no problem."
"Eh?"
*AHA*
The next moment Takei whipped out his phone -armed with a yellow phone case to look like a Mon Squad flak jacket- and held it out in front of himself like a Super Sentai, or maybe Kamen Rider.
"Henshin."
His thumb moving to press something on the phone's screen, in the next instant, Hanako's hairs all stood on end as a runic circle positively oozing with Ancient Magic manifested in the space before him. A brilliant backwash of light suffusing him, the magical girl's eyes went wide as his very being was transformed into pure magic, swirling like a burning whirlpool before coalescing into a completely new form.
Where once was a blond-haired cat-like boy with brown streaks in his hair and green round-pupiled eyes, in his place was a young man with black golden-tipped hair with brown rear-facing antlers, a gold-scaled dragon tail with red collagen membranes and a flaring fish tail at the end, his slit-pupiled eyes shining like Greek fire as they regarded her.
Oh, and instead of a school uniform, he was now garbed in a resplendent black kimono with golden dragon-themed embroidery, all with an exquisite sheen you'd only find in the Emperor's bedroom closet.
"Soooo. How do I look?" the transformed boy inquired.
" . . . EHHHHHHHHH?!" Hanako screamed as she fell off the back of her staff, hissing in pain as she held the back of her head.
"What? Too much too soon?" he inquired, voice still the same even when his face and body weren't.
*AHA*
A couple minutes later after Hanko got her wits about her, the two of us were flying across town, both riding side saddle with me hooking my arms around "Yuna's" waist. I could feel the familiar tingle of [Perception Blocking] over the both of us, obscuring us from anyone who actually looked higher than 45 degrees, as well as some other magics to insulate us from the wind as well as balance us on our precarious perch.
Of course, that may've been my capital-d Dragon senses talking since up until she called me out behind the school, I didn't have the slightest clue my Class Rep was a legit Magical Girl.
"So… What's your connection to Café Strega?" I asked holding tightly to her, keeping my eyes on the horizon instead of looking down.
Whether I could tank a fall from this height like a Dragonball character was not the sort of thing I wanted to stress test.
"My obaa-san, May Springfield…" she hummed with a somber tone as the arm wrapped around my shoulders tightened, "she raised me after my parents didn't make it back from their Magical Ranking Exam in England. When she died, her Will instructed me to seek out Café Strega, as opposed to the Witch Association."
"By the surname, I take it May was your maternal grandmother?"
"That's right," she nodded. "I live up in the loft with the others, and when I'm not studying for my magical or mundane lifestyles, I'm doing busywork in the back of the shop."
"So what kind of place is Café Strega?"
"An occult café where we serve 'magical potions'," she answered. "My favorite's the Magical Mint Chocolate Frappe~" she sighed contentedly before shaking herself. "Oh, but I'm not strong-enough for the serious business after sunset; still a trainee…~" she blushed. "Um… if you don't mind me asking… how long have you been magical for?"
"A short while, honestly. Just kinda got adopted into it," I returned. "I assume since it isn't an open secret, most witches and wizards hide their magic as Quirks?"
"More or less," she answered. "Unlike old fiction like… Harry Potter for example, in the real world, we keep up with the times. We can even buy study materials online if we have a serial number, and ordinary postage rarely looks twice since it's all 'occult' to them."
"Makes sense. At least you aren't backwards about it."
"Yes, well, when the paranormal became the new 'normal', it seemed like as good a time as any to step out into the light of day," Hanako answered. "Of course, most of us have ordinary day jobs; only a few of us actually over-specialize and become Pro Heroes."
Huh. Just like how Ryukyu is supposedly part capital-d Dragon…
"Of course, there are places where people openly declare they're magical, even if some people don't believe it," Hanako continued. "Aetheria Academy over in Switzerland for example was founded by the first 'Drifters' who ever returned from being 'Isekai'd' when that actually became a thing outside of fiction, and domestic magic-users just hopped on the bandwagon."
"So then magic is an open secret, but anyone who doesn't believe treats it like a multi-purpose Quirk? Seems kinda weird…"
"I know! Especially since we have literal holes in time and space opening up to parts unknown, and 'known'," Hanako sighed exasperatedly. "Ah, we're here."
Coming in for a landing, my eyes almost immediately fell on a building that looked more like a British pub than anything you'd typically find in Japan, what with its stylized awning and wooden trim over a brick exterior. The whole thing was done in shades of green making it stand out quite vividly from its surroundings, and the logo for the place was a stylized witch smelling a cup of coffee colored white atop a green plaque.
For obvious reasons, Hanako flew us down to the back of the establishment, letting her [Perception Blocking] fade once we'd both dismounted.
"Laura! I'm back from school!" Hanako called out as we entered the café proper, roomier than say… Café Leblanc from Persona 5. For all intents and purposes it was an ordinary western-theme café, the only exceptions being the Ouija Boards and Tarot Cards in the corner, as well as the fact that the other workers were done up in various forms of witch cosplay.
Then again, did it even count as "cosplay" since they were probably all legit witches?
"Yuna, you brought a friend?" the young lady named Laura answered with a raised brow.
She had a slender build, yellow eyes, and long extremely-light blonde hair brushed away from her face revealing a large forehead and thin eyebrows. Her witch's attire consisted of black knee-length boots with thick platform lifts, a tight-fitting black short-skirt, a purple top torn in tatters around the midriff down, a billowing black coat with light gray pinstripes and purple inner lining, the whole thing decorated with numerous belts around the body and sleeves. Atop her head was a large black witch hat with purple lining, the cone decorated with numerous belts, the brim decorated with a length of silver chain.
*Unya?*
Curled up on the nearby counter and looking up to regard "Yuna" was a large black cat with large white paws, white ear fluff, and fierce-looking red eyes. He had a black collar with short silver spikes, a purple vest, a small belt around his right hindleg, and a teeny tiny belt wrapped close to the end of his tail.
"Y-Yes," she answered.
"Oh? He's cute~" a mature-looking greenette behind the counter hummed Hanako's way, eyeing me up and down with a knowing smile.
The woman in question had shoulder-length blue-green hair curling inward, vivid pink eyes, and a modest but mature figure. Her attire consisted of tight-fitting black thigh-high boots that looked practically painted on, a black short skirt, a purple corsett with black belts, a white button-up with her cleavage and traces of a lacy black bra exposed, and short black gloves. The "witchy" parts of her attire were a pair of tan belts criss-crossing her waist equipped with satchels, vials, and a flask of potion, a lavender-colored mantle with a darker inner lining, and a similarly-colored hat with dark feather decorations around the cone.
"A-Anyway, we'll be up in my room!" she said guiding me toward the stairs, which had black Gothic railing.
"Make sure you keep your door open~" the greenette called out, making Hanako blush as pink as her hair now was and double-time it up the stairs.
"Well, they seemed… nice," I replied once Hanako closed the bedroom door behind me; for all intents and purposes, it looked like a completely ordinary girl's bedroom.
Bubbling cauldron in the center atop a chalk array and surrounded by candles notwithstanding…
"I-I've never brought a friend home from school before, so… maybe that's why," she answered as she propped her staff against the corner, a wave of flame washing over her as her Glamour dispelled.
"Can I ask you something a little personal? Feel free to say 'no'."
"Oh, please, ask away," she hummed.
"Why go out as a Quirkless girl? Wouldn't it be easier to pass your magic off as a fire-based Emitter?"
" . . . My grandma was Quirkless too, and as long as I remember, she never really let it bother her," Hanako replied after a moment. "Even with our magic, it isn't uncommon for us to just opt out of the whole 'superhuman society' thing entirely and just live quiet lives. It's only really an issue in the big cities with lots of Heroes or when a Hero Academy is nearby."
"Yeah, I'd heard things on that front were more laid-back the further from it all you went," I hummed stroking my chin.
"A-And anyway, by the time I realized how big a deal it was, it was kind of too late," she hummed somberly.
"Why not just call it 'Latent Quirk Syndrome' and call it a day? Naruki certainly did."
"I guess I got used to it, is all," she shrugged. "That's actually why I invited you here. When you asked me to become Class Rep in your stead… it made me really happy," she smiled with a light blush. "After that, and making me feel confident about my eyebrows… I wanted you to be a part of my life. I just had no way of knowing you'd been taken in by an Archwizard. I didn't even know the Mon Squad had one of those."
"Archwizard?"
"You know. The one who taught you that Ancient Magic."
Wait, really? Magic from two-hundred years ago is old-enough to have a lofty prefix like that?
*BAM!*
"Hey there, kiddo! Just thought I'd swing by and take your order!" a pretty blond with purple eyes said barging in, a menu in hand.
Looking up, I recognized her from downstairs, but this was the first good look I really got at her. She had a petite build with black thigh-highs worn with white sneakers, white short-shorts with black trim, two black belts crossed around her waist with leather satchels and a round flask with red liquid inside, a black bikini top, a powder blue jacket with dark yellow liner that left her black bikini-clad chest exposed, fingerless black gloves, and atop her head was a powder blue witch's hat with dark yellow liner decorated with a metallic gray skull-like visage with glowing green eyes.
"I-Ingrid! Knock before just coming in here!" Hanako squeaked.
"I'm a little new to the whole 'Occult Café' scene, but is it really okay to be wearing that?" I asked aloud, briefly glancing once at her bosom.
"Of course! I'm a 'Battle Witch'!" she grinned brandishing a crazy-looking gold-accented black scythe with three timepieces built around the blade. "Anyway, your order?"
"I-I'll just have green tea," Hanako replied.
"Hey, come on now, this is the first time you ever invited someone over. Live a little!" Ingrid grinned.
"I-I'll have the Magical Mint Chocolate Frappe, then," she stammered.
"And the 'young lord' over here~?" she grinned my way.
Hm. Guess my attire really does stand out.
Come to think of it, is this snazzy kimono now a part of this preset [Ideal Conversion]?
Thoughts for another time.
" . . . I'll have a Honeymoon Root Beer Float," I hummed after a once-over.
"Hoh~? Something you wanna share with the class?" Ingrid grinned.
"He-He just likes root beer!" Hanako squawked.
"Hai, hai~" the scythe-wielder replied as she walked off, Hanako's cheeks a vivid pink.
"She seems nice."
"Maybe, but she's also a battle junkie…" Hanako sighed.
"Better to be ready for a fight than be caught with your short-shorts down."
At this, Hanako grew pensive.
"Sorry. I didn't mean for it to sound like that."
"No-no, it's fine. I shouldn't have called Ingrid a battle junkie like it were a bad thing," she apologized. "And really, seeing how hard you're working at school… It makes me wanna try harder too!"
"Happy to hear it."
*AHA*
Half of our homework later…
"So, are you gonna compete in that gameshow?" Hanako asked, scraping at the dregs of her frappe.
"Run for the Money?" I blinked setting our glasses outside the door. " . . . Probably. But if something more-important comes up, my slot goes to an understudy."
" . . . You really miss them, don't you?"
"Every day," I nod. "It's not all bad, though. Sorahiko and Elma are looking out for me at home, and Hitomi's at school if I need someone to talk to. Plus I've got all my friends at school, you included. So I'm not really alone, you know?" I said giving her my best smile.
"I'm happy to hear it," she smiled in turn. " . . . So how-versed are you in magic? If you don't mind me asking."
"I'm still learning runes," I answered frankly.
"But your transformation magic-"
"The mana came from me, but the spell was from the phone."
"What, like, some kind of… 'techno-sorcery'?" the closet magical girl blinked.
"Something like that," I shrugged. "Wait… What're those?"
"What, on the bookshelf?" she blinked as she followed my gaze. "Oh, obaa-san left those for me! And she got them from her obaa-san," she replied with a bit of pride in her voice as she crossed the room, fingers dancing along the spines until they alighted upon the first volume which she drew out, a colorful paperback in a plastic sleeve. "This was actually one of the reasons I invited you here. I heard you liked really old manga from Shiori and Kuromi-chan, so I thought you'd appreciate this."
"Magical Teacher Negima! by the mangaka Akamatsu Ken, otherwise known as Negima! Magister Negi Magi in English," I blurted out, eyes watering. "It's… It's so beautiful…!" I choked out as I took in the sight of the series' titular protagonist among his students and the cherry blossoms, the Mahora Academy school building far in the backdrop.
"Oh, you know this title then?" Hanako blinked surprisingly. "You really are a fan of old manga~" she smiled. "Still, I'm surprised it brought tears to your eyes~" she said prettily, holding it out.
"Well, I mean… Sure, I've got all the scans from the Archive… but you just can't beat real paper between your fingertips, you know?" I asked with trembling hands as I reached out for it, only to pull my hands back. "I can't. This is a family heirloom! Your grandma left this for you after she got it from her grandma!"
"I know that. I'm the one she left it to," she pouted cutely. "You probably love this series as much as I do-"
"Wait, is that why you used Evangeline's 'Activation Key' for your magical girl transformation?" I blurted out.
Her only response was to blush cutely. Like a kid caught looting the cookie jar.
"Anyway…" I hummed realizing her look was begging me to change the subject, "it's a wacky coincidence that your grandma's surname was also Springfield," I nodded before pausing mid-yawn. "Hold on… Is your alter ego 'Yuna Springfield' in honor of your obaa-san, or him?" I asked pointing at the ten-year-old on the cover.
" . . . Yes," she answered after a couple seconds, blushing cutely.
"Hanako. I'm touched that you'd trust me with something so-precious," I said looking down at the volume, the bottom corner worn from repeated handlings while the colors were surprisingly un-faded, "but this is a precious icon. It'd hurt me more to read it than to pass up the chance," I said taking it from her hands before putting it back on the shelf with the other thirty-plus volumes. "This'll always be a precious memory for me, and not just because you came out as a magical girl."
" . . . I'm glad I worked up the courage to slip that note in your locker," she nodded. "In fact, I might just have enough courage to try out for that gameshow!"
"Really? That's wonderful!"
"Heheh, yeah, well… Who knows, maybe this time the Quirkless girl will win the big prize," she hummed hopefully.
"I'm still amazed people are being allowed to use their Quirks for this," I deadpanned, thinking back on the most-recent season I binged for research purposes.
"Well, only as long as they agree to limit collateral," Hanako replied. "Not really much point in winning it big if you wind up having to shell out most of your prize at the end."
"Oof, yeah, I can see what you mean," I hummed aloud. "Well, we should probably finish the last of our homework."
"And after that?"
"After that, we can talk about our favorite Negima characters!" I grinned, happy to have come across this hidden gem in a world obsessed with superhero nonsense.
*AHA*
"Hey, is it alright if I ask you something?" I asked once the last of our homework was finished, the sun visibly falling over the horizon.
"Of course, you can ask me anything," Hanako replied.
"What's that you got cooking there?" I asked jabbing a thumb at the cauldron which had been bubbling the entire time, independent of any sort of flame.
"Oh, that's a potion I'm brewing to summon my own demon familiar!" she beamed excitedly.
" . . . Hah?"
"Oh, but you've got nothing to worry about!" she said waving her hands. "Summoning demons is perfectly safe. Pluto's really quite nice once you earn his affection."
"You mean the big black cat in the vest?" I deadpanned.
"Yeah, that's the one," Hanako nodded.
*Ringringringringringringring!*
"Oh! It's time!" she beamed as an old-timey alarm clock on the desk started going off.
"Are you really sure this is safe?!" I asked worriedly as the chalk circle began to glow.
"Don't worry, this room is warded so no-one downstairs will hear," Hanako replied as the cauldron trembled in place.
"Not even remotely what I'm worried about!" I called out as the bubbling concoction began to churn even more violently.
The glow of the circle reaching its apex, like something out of Free Willie, a form exploded from the green concoction. Beads of potion catching the light as they were scattered about, Hanako's eyes bulged to the size of saucers as what breached the cauldron depths was a pretty horned woman with fair skin, an hourglass figure, and enormously large breasts. Her eyes serenely closed, cascading down her back was wavy blond hair that turned turquoise and then green at the tips.
"Oh~? Well aren't you a cute little magical girl~" the petty blond hummed melodiously, her left eye cracking open revealing a navy-blue iris and a golden pupil with a green slit in the center.
"Su-Su-Susususususu-SUCCUBUUUUUS!" Hanako squealed.
"EHHHHHH?" the busty blond wailed as the girl brandished a nearby grimoire like a bludgeon.
"Hello, Lucoa. Did you have to take your clothes off?"
"H-H-How do you know it's True Name?!" Hanako squawked. "Wait a second… Do you know this demon?" she asked leaning away with a look usually reserved for Hanyuu.
"I keep telling you people, I'm not a demon~" the Aztec ex-goddess whined pitiably.
"She's right, she really isn't. She's just an ex-deity with a pique of whimsy," I returned, respectfully turning away from Lucoa's massive 'flame sacks'.
"Oh? I thought I sensed something familiar on the other side of that ritual. You must be Elma's little 'ocean wave', aren't you~?" she cooed as I felt her eyes on me.
A moment later the door opened with a *BAM!*, Laura coming in armed with a smoldering purple coffin of all things while Pluto got up on his hind legs brandishing his claws.
The blond witch taking in the busty horned blond standing up from inside Hanako's cauldron, emerald green potion running down her shapely body in rivulets, after several long seconds she turned her attention back to Hanako.
"You know the rules of this household. Everyone takes care of their own familiar."
Lecture given in a flat tone, Beatrix summarily departed, leaving Hanako to her own devices.
"W-W-Wait! Don't leave me here with this demon!" Hanako cried out.
"Wasn't a demon exactly what you were aiming for?" I deadpanned.
"Y-Yeah! But I thought it'd be something cute like a Bugbear, or a Salamander, or maybe even a Flying Snake! I didn't think I'd get a full-blown Succubus!"
" . . . Lucoa, please put some clothes on. I need to make a phone call."
*AHA*
"Lucoa, why did you do this?" Elma sighed as she sat across from Lucoa, who was now sporting a pink cap with her horns poking through, a black tank top exposing her cleavage and stomach, jean booty-shorts revealing a generous portion of her buttocks, thigh high stockings, and pink sneakers.
Definitely different from the anime.
"Well I couldn't just let her summon something nasty," Lucoa pouted. "And besides, look how cute she is~" she cooed my way, Hanko quivering behind me and using me as a human shield. Or "dragon shield" if you wanna split hairs.
Or would it be "crack scales" in this case?
"You could've just warped over and given her a warning. You didn't have to answer her summons and become her Tsukaima," Elma sighed, nursing a Special Orange Bianco.
"I know, but I came over to visit after hearing you gush about your little hatching, and I was just feeling so nostalgic" the ex-goddess sighed with a hand on her cheek.
"Still though, did you have to give us an eyeful?" I deadpanned.
" . . . He really is your kid, isn't he~?" Lucoa cooed sweetly.
"He's adopted, but I love him like my own~" Elma hummed with a satisfied look on her face.
"Takei-kun."
"What is it?"
"How does your auntie know this Succubus?" Hanako whispered into my ear.
"For the last time, she isn't a Succubus. She's a Winged Serpent with transformation magic"
"Are… Are you sure about that?"
" . . . Hold that thought," I sighed as I got up, Hanako scrambling to grab at my kimono but possibly hesitating on account of how expensive it looked.
*AHA*
Takei had walked over to his auntie, a programmer who runs the Mon Squad's website and digital assets, and began whispering in her ear. After several moments of hushed words, Joui Elma nodded before walking over to stand in front of Hanako.
The next moment, like before, a magic array positively oozing with Ancient Magic appeared before her, and in a swirl of pure magic, the office lady had transformed. Physically, the only departures from her previous appearance were the brown spiraling horn protruding from her forehead and the cobalt blue serpentine tail with turquoise-colored membranes. Her attire on the other hand was quite outlandish, more-identifiable as cosplay than some sort of Pro Hero costume. A tan scarf around her neck, a dark blue leotard swaddling her shapely body, a purple kimono with pink piping worn off the shoulders with her legs exposed, a dark blue sash around the waist, bandages around her shins, straw sandals, and a brown trident made out of bone.
"Hanako-chan. Thank you for looking after Takei-kun at school," the woman smiled prettily as she bowed her head.
"You… You were adopted by a Dragon…! A Holy Sea Dragon…!" Hanako gasped Takei's way, her eyes darting between the two's faces, their tails, and then their faces again before she prostrated herself in a dogeza. "Forgive me for my impertinence!"
"Huh. I guess your reputation precedes you," Takei hummed thoughtfully.
"What about my reputation?" the entity Takei identified as 'Lucoa' whined cutely.
"You'll just have to get over that yourself," Takei replied. "Don't worry, Hanako-chan. As long as you don't transform into an eight-year-old boy, the sexual harassment should be kept to a minimum."
"Hey! Shouta was eleven when I met him, not eight!"
"That hardly makes it better," Takei deadpanned. "It really was lovely being invited over. We should do it again sometime. Maybe have a playdate between our… tsukaima," Takei hummed fingering my Dive Ball.
" . . . Am I really safe with her?" Hanako asked warily as she eyed the Winged Serpent.
"Don't worry. As long as you aren't a ten-year-old boy, you should be perfectly safe," I returned.
"Eleven!" Lucoa whined in protest.
*AHA*
Before actually leaving Café Strega, Elma in a fit of whimsy decided to sample their full menu, indulging in beverages such as the Pumpkin Night Stew, Premium Vampire Smoothie, and Miracle Citrus Tea. Strega sold normal beverages as well like you'd find at any Starbucks, but the big draw was the occult beverages.
That or the witch cosplay.
Of course, nothing wrong with it being both.
I myself had another float before we departed, both of us switching over to our 'normal forms' after a veil of [Perception Dampening] had been lain over us to conceal the change.
" . . . I didn't think Lucoa would attach herself to another human like this," Elma hummed as we walked home.
"I didn't think the only Quirkless girl in my class would turn out to be a real-life magical girl," I returned. " . . . What do you know about Aetheria Academy?"
"In Switzerland?" Elma blinked. "From what I recall, about a decade or so into Kobayashi-san and Tohru's marriage…"
Oh, so they really did tie the knot. How nice~
"-people who fell through the 'space between spaces' started making their way back to this one," she hummed. "It was only a handful of people seeking to be left alone at first, like a witch's coven, but then native magic users started to gather together as well. Once the general consensus about Rifts changed from 'rampant meta-ability' to 'natural phenomena' and the earliest iterations of the RDA, STMO, and TSARO were formed, it officially became its own neutral state inside an already-neutral territory."
"So basically like Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero…?"
The next moment Elma's eyes shimmered blue with white diamonds, a wave of magic rolling off of her signifying the use of her [Clairvoyance] magic. After several seconds of looking at something only she could see, she nodded her head.
"Something like that, but closer to Mahora Academy from that manga set Hanako-chan had in her room," Elma hummed. "Between kindergarten, elementary, junior/high school, and college, there's about ten-thousand students there, but only a hundred are genuine 'Isekai Protagonists' like you."
"Yeah, but they came from this world," I deadpanned. "In my case, since there's native Drifters here, maybe I'm a 'Reverse Isekai Protagonist'?"
Of course, that wasn't what my mind had fixated on. Considering Mahora Academy canonically had a student population of around thirty-thousand, a third of that number seemed perfectly feasible.
I was just thankful that this Aetheria Academy wasn't as insular and backwards as Hogwarts was. A common trend I noticed in Harry Potter crossovers before Reincarnating was, when looked at through a different lens, the Wizarding World was really back-asswards and also quite full of themselves…
"So basically they're all gathered together in Switzerland so people will leave them alone?" I groused.
Given some of them were probably "betrayed" before making it home, in the case of those that did live to make it home after aforementioned betrayal, it made sense.
"Having that sort of power does draw unpleasant attention," Elma replied, confirming my suspicions. "Because the mana purity in this world's air is so low, a lot of their power is actually retarded compared to what they had on the other side. But even then, most Drifters possess unique abilities that set them apart from most Quirk users, even when they didn't already have a Quirk. It's like having multiple meta-abilities without the usual negative side-effects."
"Such as…?"
"Well, when a line of Quirk Marriages has been going on for too long and too many abilities are stacked on top of one another, the most-apparent drawback is mental retardation," Elma answered. "Quirks aren't like ice cream where you can pile as many scoops atop a cone as you want-"
A metaphor made all the more vivid considering I once saw her stack scoops literally a dozen high and probably using magic to maintain it…
"-they're more like software in a computer, and when the 'hardware' can't keep up…"
"Oh, so like with regular inbreeding but with extra steps," I deadpanned, considering you had to wait half a decade to see if your Quirk Marriage got the intended result.
"Exactly!" Elma smiled, snapping her fingers. "In the case of a Drifter, people will put their special powers in a sub-category of Quirk known as 'Esoteric', the unofficial category for Quirks that don't fall into the main three. Because of this, most people think they're just 'ordinary meta-abilities' that use energy outside normal physics, and not actual magic."
"Geez, people really are obsessed with Quirks, aren't they?" I deadpanned.
"Maybe a little," Elma shrugged.
"More like a lot, actually," I deadpanned doubly-hard. "Still, I guess it makes sense that eventually one of the locals would want to come back here. Don't know why they would. Thinking back on it, this place is practically perfect for an Isekai story."
You've got people discriminated against after coming of age and not having a special power, or being discriminated against for having an "evil" power, or just being discriminated against for not looking like everyone else.
Which makes Shiori and Kuromi's rants about the "holy trinity of Isekai stories" make more sense…
"There are people who claim to be from other worlds like you actually are, but in their cases, that's usually just to sell books," Elma shrugged. "Although there are some legit other-worlders in the publishing game," she amended.
"I'm surprised none of you actually got in on that 'Reverse Isekai' money," I replied, thinking back to the times Fafnir tried to sell doujinshi at Comiket.
Did his Curse Anthology ever sell…?
"Oh no, we definitely did at one point or another," Elma corrected causing me to double-take. "Kobayashi-san actually came up with the idea."
"So then… what, it's 'fictional non-fiction'?"
*AHA*
Elma and I talked about this sort of thing well into the evening, and Hanako and I talked about old manga up until bedtime.
*AHA*
Yukimura Hanako's alter-ego "Yuna Springfield" is a character from Counter:Side, a free-to-play App Game I started up on when I got tired of Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross. Counter:Side itself is a multiverse-heavy, lore-driven story that I've come to enjoy a great deal, and when I thought about elaborating upon the magic sub-culture in this version of the My Hero Academia world courtesy of Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, as well as the fact that Japan is the birthplace of the modern Magical Girl and Isekai genres...
Laura Beatrix & Pluto, Evelyn Keller, and Ingrid Johanna (in order of appearance) are also characters from Counter:Side, just as an FYI.
Me gushing over Negima! Magister Negi Magi in-story comes from the fact that it's one of my favorite manga, from one of my favorite mangaka, as I also have, in full paperback, Love Hina, A.I. Love You, and UQ Holder!. The fact that Yuna Springfield has the same surname as the titular Negi is also a happy coincidence that helped bind in the cameo~
As for my seemingly-random choice of using a Dave the Diver OST for the Sailor Moon-esque transformation sequence… What can I say? It's a catchy tune, and if I didn't know it were from a Pixel Graphics/Casual/Adventure/Management game about catching fish and turning them into sushi (which I enjoyed the hell out of, btw) from a hole in the ground that's basically the All Blue from One Piece, I'd have thought it were from a niche Magical Girl or Idol anime.
When it comes to Lucoa leaping out of Hanako's cauldron "like Free Willie"… Would any of you Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid fans out there have had it any other way~?