Hello! This will be my first story on the site in general, and it will be about an Alternate Universe of Blue Archive, a game where I find myself quite invested in the lore and all the concepts behind it, despite never playing the game itself.

As a warning, this story will deviate a lot from canon and a lot of it is just my own way to try and expand on the concepts, as well as the characters beyond what was already shown in canon.

Oh, and there will lots of OCs, OCs that are obviously not part of the canon, but hey, this is fanfiction at the end of day, so I'm going to have as much fun with it as I can.

Anyway, before the actual story itself, the first set of chapters will be preludes to set up the story arcs, including ones that don't exist in canon yet. Enjoy!


April 4th, 2158

Takanashi Hoshino was irritated, for lack of a better word.

The stares thrown at her way as she made her way to Abydos High School were the last thing she wanted. She resisted the urge to simply glare at the crowd in the hopes that they would leave her alone.

Alas, she knew that she couldn't, as doing so would reflect badly on the path she planned on going.

A path that her estranged father would, no doubt, disapprove of.

"I'll show him…" She muttered to herself, unknowingly clenching her fists as she did.

Fortunately for her, she didn't have to linger much longer, as she caught sight of the front gates leading to Abydos High School.

"Finally…" She sighed in relief, closing her eyes.

The girl adjusted her cyan necktie, checked her tactical vest for anything out of the ordinary, lightly dusted off her pleated skirt, and then proceeded to check on her weapon for any flaws. After seeing that everything was in place, she nodded to herself in approval.

Hoshino breathed in and out by herself for a few seconds, before putting on a determined glare at the school building.

"This is what Kougami-senpai and Yume-neesan will be fighting for, so count me in…!" She thought to herself.

She let out a short yell before charging through the front gate and into the entrance of the school building.

Little did she know that it would be the start of a long battle for the school itself.


"This place is more abandoned than I thought…"

Hoshino looked around at the empty hallways of the school, while idly passing by open rooms that looked like they hadn't been used in a long time.

The once-thriving and excellent school had become desolate and on the verge of collapse, with bits of sand and small rubble scattered throughout.

However, Hoshino knew how much the school meant to the remaining two students, so she was willing to put in the work in helping it restore its former glory.

At the corner of her eye, she spotted something of interest inside one of the abandoned classrooms, prompting her to stop.

Feeling her curiosity getting the best of her, she made her way inside the classroom and approached the teacher's desk.

As she did, she slowly picked up a picture frame, gently wiping away the dust before taking a closer look.

The picture frame contained an entire group of students, all of whom were smiling and looking proud of the school they were a part of.

Hoshino knew that only two students remained in the photo.

One of the students was a young man with black hair and deep purple eyes. The halo on top of his head was neon purple and square shaped with a diamond in the center. He was wearing the full Abydos school uniform and had a calm smile on his features as he stood with his classmates.

The other student was a mature-looking young woman with long teal hair and gentle golden yellow eyes. The halo on top of her head was yellow and shaped like two rings with the symbol of Abydos in a diamond within the rings. Like the young man, she was wearing the full Abydos uniform, and was smiling warmly as she stood next to her fellow classmates.

All these bright and hopeful faces, not knowing what their precious school would eventually turn into.

She wanted to know what it was like. To have hope in the future.

As it stood at the moment, she was feeling very doubtful after years of her own future being decided for her.

She wanted to show her father. To show everyone she knew that she would forge her own path.

Before she could linger on her thoughts even further, a gentle voice called out to her.

"Hoshino-chan, are you in there?" She knew that the voice could only belong to one person.

Hoshino turned around and saw the same teal-haired girl standing before her with the same warm smile she showed in the picture.

The only differences were that she wasn't wearing the blazer like in the picture and was wearing black boots instead of the standard brown shoes.

"Yume-neesan…" Hoshino tried to stand straight respectfully.

"Uhe~." Yume giggled and shook her head, before speaking. "My silly little sister, didn't I tell you to call me 'senpai' when we're here in this very school?"

"… Sorry, Yume-senpai." Hoshino slowly nodded and then looked around. "Where's Kougami-senpai?"

"Oh, Ryo-kun is just making sure the school is empty besides all of us." Yume replied.

"There are other students?" Hoshino asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, they're all waiting for you inside a classroom not too far from where you are now." Yume answered, smiling as she placed a hand on her junior's head. "You should go and greet them."

" … " Hoshino looked hesitant as she stared down at the floor.

"Akaza-kun is one of them, if you want to know." Yume added with a slight glint in her eyes.

" …!"

Without saying a word, Hoshino was quick to rush out of the classroom, prompting Yume to giggle at her junior's reaction.

"I'm glad that you have at least one friend before coming here." She said to herself.


"So, what's your weapon like?" A boy with spiky brown hair asked.

"You are curious about my weapon?" A red-haired boy replied with a neutral expression.

"Well, I do wonder about that handgun on your belt…" A silver-haired girl trailed off.

Before any of them could speak further, Hoshino burst inside the classroom and quickly sported an expression of joy and relief.

"Matsukaze!" She grinned.

Akaza Matsukaze was a young man with red hair and green eyes. He wore the uniform quite loosely and ignored the necktie entirely, while keeping both the blazer and white shirt unbuttoned to reveal the black shirt he was wearing underneath. The halo on top of his head was bright red and shaped like a triangle, with sharp edges and an upside down triangle in the center with small circles shaped like a target.

He was also wearing a dark brown belt that held a revolver of sorts, which the silver-haired girl was still looking at with a curious expression.

"Hoshino." Akaza nodded with a smile of his own. "Good to see that you are here as well."

"You two know each other?" The spiky-haired boy got between the two first-year students.

"This girl is Takanashi Hoshino, and we have known each other since middle school." Usui answered, looking over his friend for any reactions.

Hoshino herself was narrowing her eyes at both, in her eyes, the new boy and girl inside the same classroom.

"Uh…" The boy shuffled in response to the staring.

"Do not mind her, she is simply observing your intentions." Akaza tried to reassure him.

"Oh!" The boy blinked, before he put on a friendly smile and tried to introduce himself. "Well, hello there, the name's Yamaguchi Kaito, nice to meet ya!"

Yamaguchi Kaito was another first-year student like everyone around him, with spiky brown hair and dark blue eyes. Like Akaza, he wore his school uniform very loosely, only that he tied the blazer around his waist and rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt, while also ignoring the necktie completely. The halo on top of his head was bright blue and looked like it was split in half, with two circles in the center that resemble a target.

" … " Hoshino remained quiet, but slowly nodded.

"U-Uhmm!" The silver-haired girl shyly raised her hand, realizing that she couldn't make a bad impression on her fellow student. "M-My name is Sasaki Nagato, I hope we get along well!"

Sasaki Nagato was the last of the first-year students, with long silver hair in a hime cut and pink eyes. Unlike her fellow first year students, she seemed to be wearing her uniform properly, complete with black tights. The halo on top of her head was light silver and shaped like a five-petal flower with curly lines surrounding it.

" … " Hoshino continued to stare, until she let out a sigh.

She ran a hand through her short pink hair and had the decency to look somewhat apologetic.

"Sorry, I wanted to test you two for a bit." Hoshino said with a shrug. "You two don't look like you have any hidden plans… at least for now…"

"Hoshino…" Akaza shook his head at his friend's wariness.

"That's cool!" Kaito said, raising his arms with a quick laugh. "We're complete strangers to you, but I'm sure we'll all make a great team!"

"I would like to work with all of you as well." Nagato nodded in agreement.

Hoshino merely went back to observing the two students in silence, causing said students to shuffle uncomfortably.

"She was like this with me when we first met, give her some time." Akaza said, gazing between them and his friend.

"Uh, sure man, we'll take your word for it…" Kaito said with an awkward chuckle.

Nagato merely gripped her skirt tightly under the quiet stare from her fellow female first year.

Before any of them could speak further, a masked figure in a dark trench coat suddenly entered the classroom through one of the windows.

"What the-!?" Kaito widened his eyes in alarm, before narrowing them as he took on a brawling stance.

" … " The masked figure was scrutinizing the first year students without a word.

"S-Stop right there!" Nagato shakily raised her weapon, which was a blue-colored HK MP5K with an ACOG sight.

"Yeah, if you know what's good for ya!" Kaito said, growling as his weapons, a pair of bronze spiked gauntlets, began to glow with power and a cocking sound came from them.

Akaza merely moved his hand towards his handgun, ready to pull it out if the figure dared to move.

Hoshino was the only one unfazed by the appearance of the masked figure and began to casually walk towards them, not even reaching out for her own weapon.

"What is she doing…!?" Kaito was surprised by the girl's boldness.

"Please be careful…" Nagato silently prayed for her.

Akaza stared at the masked figure for a few more seconds, and then nodded. "I see now."

He moved his hand away from the handle of his handgun and crossed his arms, with a quiet but knowing look on his features.

"Kougami-senpai, was that really necessary?" Hoshino asked flatly, putting a hand on her hip.

The masked figure remained silent at first, before slowly reaching out for their mask and then took it off in front of the first year students.

Setting the mask down on a nearby desk, the figure was revealed to be a dark-haired young man, not much older than the students before him, as he looked at each one with his purple eyes.

"My apologies, I wanted to test their responses to a sudden attack." He spoke in a deep tone that radiated complete authority.

"Seriously…?" Kaito asked in awe as he lowered his gauntlets.

Nagato lowered her weapon as well, her eyes fixed on the young man's hardened gaze.

"I believe introductions are in order." The young man said, closing his eyes. "My name is Kougami Ryota, one of the two remaining students in Abydos High School prior to your arrival."

"Then the other one is…" Akaza trailed off, his green eyes looking all over the classroom.

"Uhe, that would be me~." Yume answered, giggling to herself as she entered the classroom and gave the first year students a gentle gaze. "Kuchinashi Yume, but you may call me Yume. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

"Yume-senpai." Hoshino's lips curled up slightly.

"You know these two?" Kaito asked curiously.

Hoshino looked over to him with a neutral expression, which caused him to shift awkwardly once more.

"Y-You don't have to answer if you want!" Nagato stammered, not wanting to risk potentially annoying her.

"Hoshino, I spoke to them for quite a while before you came inside," Akaza said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "They are simply curious and nothing more."

Seeing that the two students were genuinely curious, as well as Akaza's words of reassurance, Hoshino's body relaxed slightly.

"Yeah, I know them." Hoshino answered with a small nod, before turning her gaze to her two senpais. "I met Kougami-senpai during middle school when he was still a first year student here, while Yume-senpai…"

"I'm her loving big sister, hehe~." Yume wasted no time hugging her little sister from behind and began pinching her cheek. "I still remember the cute scream she let out when Ryo-kun snuck up on her for the first time."

"H-Hey!" Hoshino said, flushing in embarrassment. "D-Don't tell them that!"

"Really now?" Kaito said, grinning.

"Don't you dare!" Hoshino exclaimed, gritting her teeth. "I'll sock you in the face, asshole!"

"Language, young lady." Yume playfully scolded, pinching her junior's cheek harder. "It won't be good for your youth."

"Okay! Okay! Just stop pinching me…!" Hoshino whined with a childish pout.

Kaito grinned wider, Nagato giggled to herself, and even Akaza had a smile on his face.

"Good." Yume nodded in approval, pulling away her hand.

However, Nagato had one question in mind and asked. "If you don't mind me asking, but how are the both of you sisters by any chance?"

"Oh yeah!" Kaito opened his mouth and palmed his fist. "Ya don't look related, and you even have different surnames!"

"Technically speaking, they are stepsisters." Akaza answered for the two students, giving the two stepsisters a nod.

Yume simply smiled and said. "I know that, but she's still my adorable baby sister regardless~."

" … " Hoshino said nothing and looked away with an expression of mild discomfort.

"As much as I don't wish to interrupt, I believe a meeting at the gym is in order." Ryota stepped forward and crossed his arms.

"Please…" Hoshino muttered, rubbing the small sore spot on her cheek.


The six students gathered inside the gym of Abydos High School, but like every other room and area, it was covered in its share of sand and rubble.

"This place has seen better days." Kaito remarked, looking around. "Then again, this whole school has been through a lot, I can tell."

"You are correct in that regard, Yamaguchi." Ryota nodded in agreement. "Just one year ago, the sandstorms increased in size and strength to an unnerving degree and once fully covered Abydos."

"I've heard about that." Nagato said with a frown. "I had no idea what was happening at the time, my parents and I were visiting relatives in Hyakkiyako during that day…"

"You too?" Kaito widened his eyes slightly. "My old man actually drove me outta Abydos and we had to stay in some village for a few days before coming back."

Akaza simply crossed his arms and was seemingly in deep thought, no doubt thinking about the incident as well.

Hoshino merely stared at the floor, unknowingly tightening her fists as she did.

It didn't go unnoticed by Yume, who was frowning at her with concern.

XXX (One Year Ago) XXX

May 8th, 2157

"Father, where are we going?" A slightly younger Hoshino asked as she sat at the back of a moving car.

"Calm down, Hoshino-chan." Yume said, placing a hand over the younger girl's hands. "Your hands are shaking."

Hoshino's hands were indeed trembling as she gripped her thighs and dug her nails into them, wanting an answer out of the person driving in front.

"Somewhere far away from here." An older man with slicked black hair and a small stubble replied as he kept his eyes on the road.

"But what about the people?" The girl questioned, frowning in concern.

" … " The man remained silent, continuing to focus on the road.

"What about our neighbors? Your friends? My classmates?" Hoshino continued as she gripped her thighs harder. "You wouldn't even let me tell my friends…"

"Hoshino-chan…" Yume muttered with a frown, and then turned to the man. "Father…"

" … " The man was still quiet, with only the sounds of the car's engine as he continued driving.

"Father?" Hoshino was getting frustrated by her father's lack of response. "Please answer me, why didn't you let me tell my friends that we were leaving?"

" … "

The continued silence was slowly grating on the girl's nerves, in which she stood up slightly and leaned closer to the driver's seat.

Yume was quick to grab her shoulder. "Hoshino-chan, I think we shouldn't bother him any-"

"Father!" Hoshino began to raise her voice. "Why aren't you listening-"

"Because we simply had no time."

The neutral-sounding reply had struck a nerve within the girl.

"No time!?" Hoshino yelled, gritting her teeth. "We had plenty of time to-"

"It would be disastrous if we were to remain in Abydos." Her father continued, as he gave his daughter a small glance. "Furthermore, you and Yume are the next ones in line to continue the legacy of the Takanashi-Kuchinashi clan, and thus, both of your safeties are my biggest priority."

The mention of continuing her family's legacy was another strike to her nerves.

"… So you're willing to leave behind our home just for some stupid family tradition, is that it…?" Hoshino muttered under her breath.

"Hoshino-chan, please calm down…" Yume was getting worried for her stepsister.

"I thought you were better than that!?" Hoshino yelled, her voice louder than before. "I thought that you wouldn't care about a stupid tradition!"

Yume grasped both of her stepsister's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Hoshino-chan, I'm sure he'll explain himself-"

"Are you defending him?!" Hoshino turned her attention to Yume, her eyes mixed with anger and slight hurt. "Why are you-"

She suddenly stopped herself upon seeing her older sister's stunned expression, with her rage quickly evaporating on the spot.

Feeling a strong rise of shame, Hoshino looked away from Yume and said. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay, Hoshino." Yume was quick to pull her sister into a hug, even dropping the honorific. "I know that you're angry, but please calm down and take a deep breath."

Hoshino did what she said and took in a deep breath, before letting out an audible exhale as her eyes returned to her father.

" … Father, you're really doing this for… tradition…?" Her tone was resigned, exhausted by her burst of anger a while ago.

" … " The man didn't say anything.

"Hoshino-chan, come here." Yume said, gently pulling her younger stepsister close to her.

"… Yes…"

Despite the clear hesitation on his tone, it was clear that he wasn't going to speak any further.

Disappointed, Hoshino allowed herself to be embraced by Yume and stared out the car window, as Abydos looked like it was getting further away from her sight.

"Kaze, Kougami-senpai, please be safe…" She whispered in concern.

XXX (Present Day) XXX

"Hoshino-chan?" Yume lightly shook her sister's shoulder. "Kivotos to Hoshino-chan?"

"Huh?" Hoshino said, blinking in confusion.

"What were you thinking about?" Yume asked, frowning.

" … " Hoshino remained quiet and looked at the floor.

However, her quick silence immediately told her what it was, much to her concern.

"She still thinks about that day…" She thought to herself, noticing her sister clutching the hems of her skirt.

She knew that she had to change the topic.

"While you were spacing out, Ryo-kun basically just said that he'll be testing the first year students' skills in combat, which will include you." Yume explained to her junior, smiling slightly as she did.

As if on cue, Yume stepped aside and gestured to Ryota, who was looking expectantly at not just her, but all the first year students.

"Like what Yume had said, I want you all to attack me at once so I can gauge your strengths and weaknesses."

Upon hearing this, Hoshino felt herself straighten her posture, her body on full-alert as she reached out for her gun.

To prove his point, Ryota reached out to his mask and placed it back on his face.

In response, the other first year students prepared themselves for combat, readying their weapons as they did.

Kaito raised his spiked gauntlets as they began to glow brightly and made a cocking sound, as chambers emerged from it, filled with machine gun shells.

"You said your gauntlets doubled as machine guns, correct?" Akaza asked.

"That's right!" Kaito answered with a grin. "Handbuilt by yours truly!"

Nodding at that, Akaza had pulled out his weapon, which was a gray Colt Diamondback .38 special revolver pistol, with a blade located below the barrel.

"Dude, that looks awesome!" Kaito praised.

In response, Akaza simply pressed a switch on one side of the revolver's handle… which then proceeded to transform into a long blade, with the revolver handle transforming into a sword hilt, the revolver's chamber relocated to the center part of the guard, and the trigger located on one side of the top of the grip.

"Whoa!" Kaito said, widening his eyes. "Your weapon's a gunblade?"

"You gave Desert Maelstrom an upgrade?" Hoshino asked.

Akaza wordlessly nodded in response.

"Wow…" Nagato mumbled, looking at her own weapon as she did.

She knew that it looked lacking in comparison to the two boys', but this only fueled her determination to fight alongside them.

Shaking her head, Nagato pointed her MP5K SMG at her senpai, aiming down its ACOG sight.

Hoshino narrowed her eyes at her senpai, reaching her hand out to her gun, a Beretta 1301 Tactical shotgun with a pink paint job and a black-colored Abydos insignia on one side.

Her eyes moved over to the weapons of her fellow first-years and then back at her own, which had her humming to herself.

"Maybe an upgrade to Eye of Horus would be nice once I have enough cash on me."

"Hey…" She spoke, turning to the other students. "I just wanna let you all know that Kougami-senpai shouldn't be underestimated, you hear?"

"Then we just gotta strike first!" Kaito replied, grinning in anticipation.

Akaza merely closed his eyes as the air around him became thick, as gusts of wind surrounded his sword and the chamber was beginning to spin.

Nagato tried to remain fully focused, her eyes never leaving the ACOG sight.

Hoshino cocked her shotgun, also preparing to move as she began to give out orders.

"Okay, we do this on the count to three." She said, positioning her legs slightly.

The other first-year students all nodded at her words.

"One…"

Kaito clenched his gauntlets tighter, while Nagato inched her finger closer to the trigger.

"Two…"

Akaza opened his eyes, the wind surrounding his sword growing stronger.

"Three!"

BRRRRRRRRRTTTTTT!

Akaza immediately leaped forward at Ryota, his weapon completely at the ready, while Kaito began to shoot from his machine gun gauntlets.

Hoshino was about to join them, but stopped herself at the last second as she noticed her senpai wasn't moving at all from his spot.

"Why isn't he…"

Then it hit her, as the girl gasped and widened her eyes in shock, before attempting to call out the boys.

"Wait! It's a trap!"

It was too late, as Ryota disappeared from where he was standing, much to the boys' surprise.

"Where did he…" Kaito trailed off.

Before the boy could finish his sentence, he felt something punch at his abdomen, followed by a sudden burst of electricity.

Kaito cried out at the sudden pain, and then felt a boot strike his face, which sent him flying back towards the wall.

CRASH!

The boy left behind a small hole on the already abandoned building as he fell to the floor, his halo flickering out of existence as he did.

He had been defeated in a matter of seconds, leaving only three first year students remaining.

Realizing that he was next, Akaza reached out for the trigger of Desert Maelstrom's handle and channeled wind into it.

BANG! SWOOSH!

He pulled the trigger, which increased the speed of his swing and released a huge gust of wind in the direction of his upperclassman.

It was all for naught, as Ryota reappeared in front of him, blocking his junior's attack with bladed tonfa seemingly attached to his arm, with the wind not even budging him from where he stood.

Akaza was quick to jump back to avoid being attacked himself.

However, Ryota sensed this move and pulled out what looked like a grappling hook with a blade attached to the end.

Akaza narrowed his eyes as he reached out inside his blazer and pulled out three throwing knives.

"Akaza-kun!" Nagato called out, aiming her gun at her senpai. "Let's do this together!"

Without another word, Akaza threw his knives at the masked boy at the same time as Nagato began firing.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Unfazed by this, Ryota rapidly swung his grappling hook, its blade shockingly deflecting both the knives and the bullets.

"What!?" Nagato felt intimidated by her bullets being casually stopped like they were nothing.

The brief moment of weakness was a huge mistake.

Ryota disappeared from sight once more, before reappearing behind both Akaza and Nagato.

They barely had time to react, as Nagato was quickly tied up by the wires of the grappling hook, and then was being spun around like a ragdoll.

In the process, Akaza was struck by Nagato's bound body before he could fully dodge, sending both of them flying towards the same area Kaito had been defeated.

CRASH!

Nagato groaned as she and Usui were on top of Kaito's body, as both their halos flickered out of existence.

"Goodness me, you all should be lucky that Ryo-kun chose to hold back greatly." Yume said, placing a hand on her cheek as she chuckled.

"Takanashi."

Ryota noticed that Hoshino was nowhere to be seen, having seemingly disappeared after he had taken out Kaito.

"Aaaahhhhh!"

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait for too long, as he turned around and caught his junior's fist before she could punch him.

"Dammit!" Hoshino cursed to herself.

Ryota had a tight grip on her hand, before taking off his mask to look her straight in the eye.

"Your Horus vision is an amazing ability by itself, but you still lack the experience to make full use of it." He stated, and then did a quick spin as he threw the girl towards the defeated first year students.

CRASH!

"Ugh…"

Hoshino groaned in slight pain, feeling the fight knocked out of her.

"The fact that nearly all of you decided to attack me at once without a proper plan shows that you still have much to learn." Ryota said, shaking his head.

Yume approached her juniors and knelt down to their level.

"Are you all okay?" She asked in concern. "Especially you, Hoshino-chan?"

"I guess I should've known that one year isn't enough." Hoshino remarked, slowly untangling herself from the others.

Yume smiled at this and said, "Ryo-kun has been fighting for most of his life, so I would say that you still need a decade before you can fully catch up to him."

"You don't have to tell me…" Hoshino grumbled.

The teal-haired girl shook her head and said. "Don't push yourself just because of that, Hoshino-chan."

One by one, the other first year students awakened and processed what had happened to them.

"Damn, we got our asses kicked hard." Kaito said, scratching the back of his head.

"I still can't believe he deflected my bullets just like that…" Nagato muttered under her breath, clutching her gun to her chest.

Akaza simply let out a sigh and turned to Hoshino.

"I assume that you tried to sneak up on him?"

"Yeah, it didn't work in the end." Hoshino answered, letting out a sigh of her own.

"Hey now, don't feel discouraged!" Yume said, approaching her junior's with another smile.

"Kinda hard not to when I got knocked out within seconds." Kaito said, frowning slightly.

"Well, think of this as an initiation of sorts." Yume tried to be as encouraging as she could. "The fact that you all managed to stand after only a couple of minutes shows that you all have potential."

"What do you mean?" Nagato asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Most people, including grown ups and our former classmates, have been knocked down by him before and took days to recover." Yume explained.

The first year students simply stared at her, as if she was insane.

Realizing this, Yume sheepishly giggled and said. "Okay, I should've worded things better, but you understand my point!"

"Yume-neesan…" Hoshino muttered with a wince.

"She's not wrong." Ryota agreed, approaching his juniors before standing next to Yume. "You all have the potential to be greater than this, and you're all deemed fit to join us."

"Huh?" Nagato asked.

"As we are the only students remaining, Yume and I saw fit to create the Countermeasures Committee." Ryota explained, crossing his arms. "All of us will be defending Abydos High School with the intention of restoring its former glory."

"Indeed, I have hopes that all of you can grow from this experience." Yume added with a nod.

"Heh, I just need to get stronger, yeah?" Kaito grinned, showing off his fangs.

"Well, I wouldn't mind defending this school." Nagato said, smiling. "Even with the destruction, it would be a waste to just abandon this building."

"I made my decision the moment I set foot inside." Akaza said, crossing his arms.

Afterwards, Hoshino realized that the two upperclassmen and fellow first year students all turned their attention towards her.

"Uh…" She was at a loss for words.

"Well, Hoshino-chan, are you willing to help defend this school?" Yume asked.

"I… well…"

Part of her wanted to say yes right away to help them defend the school they hold close to them, especially her dear older sister, but another part of her believed that it was a tall order.

It was the main reason why her father had been adamant against her enrolling in Abydos High School.

"Do you truly believe that a handful of students can save an entire academy?" She could feel her father's words enter her mind.

"Damn it…"

She hated it when he made good points sometimes, she really did.

"If you have trouble deciding, you have the rest of the day to give an answer." Ryota spoke up, as if he sensed her hesitation.

"Sorry…" Hoshino mumbled.

"Don't be, we won't force you to decide right away." Yume reassured her.

Ryota briefly pulled out his phone and checked the time, before turning his attention to the first year students before him.

"Okay, we will have our first official meeting tomorrow at eight o' clock in the morning." He said, and then looked at Hoshino. "I will be waiting for your response, Takanashi."

"Yeah, yeah…" Hoshino said quietly.

"See you all tomorrow, everyone!" Yume said, smiling as she waved her juniors goodbye.

"It was cool meeting you guys!" Kaito grinned, being the first one to leave.

"I will need some tea after this." Nagato said with a small sigh, following after.

Akaza turned his eyes and saw his friend staring at the floor, before he moved forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Would you like me to walk you home?" He offered.

"No, I wouldn't want you to be late to your night training." Hoshino replied, shaking her head. "Thanks for asking though."

Akaza looked at her for a few moments, and then gave a single nod as he left the gym as well.

Hoshino turned to the upperclassmen and said. "See you tomorrow, Kougami-senpai."

"Do be careful on the way home." Ryota replied.

The pink-haired girl turned to her stepsister and asked. "Yume-neesan, can we walk home together?"

Yume frowned and answered. "Ah, I'm sorry about this, but I still have my duties here at the school, so I can't…"

Hoshino didn't look surprised by this, but she still grimaced and mumbled. "Okay…"

The pink-haired girl was the last one of the first year students to leave the gym.

"I believe Takanashi is thinking about her father." Ryota said, as soon as he and Yume were alone.

Yume had a grimace of her own and said. "Hoshino and father aren't on the best of terms and barely even look each other in the eye…"

She recalled the amount of times her younger sister would often vent about her father, to the point where she never realized that her voice was loud enough to reach her.

"Dammit, why won't he answer a single thing about my mother?! I don't understand how Yume-neesan won't even ask about what happened to her real parents…"

She tried to keep her voice low and vent whenever she was alone, but it was clear that she could barely hold herself back each time she did.

"I really want to reach out to her and get father to properly speak with her," Yume muttered in concern. "But they're both stubborn and hardly show any signs of improving…"

"We can only hope for the best." Ryota said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I need to finish up as fast as I can before she does it again." Yume declared, her lips set in a fine line.

She wouldn't live with herself if she found her dear little sister alone and unresponsive once more…


"What a day…"

Hoshino had blocked out her surroundings as soon as she stepped out of the school, focusing solely on getting home. She clenched her hand into a fist as she thought about what had happened today.

"I'm not strong enough…"

She was naive to believe that she could hope to catch Ryota in her pathetic display at stealth.

"I need to get stronger…"

She placed a hand over one of her eyes, her pace slightly increasing as she walked.

"My Horus vision is still too weak, but…"

She gritted her teeth at the thought of asking him for help in honing her main ability.

"I don't need his help, I can-"

"Hoshino!"

Hoshino was suddenly pulled backwards, before a large truck had driven by, barely missing her in the process. She turned her head and saw Akaza looking over her with a look of concern.

"Kaze…?" She asked with widened eyes.

"You were not paying attention."

His words had caused her to look away with shame, knowing that he was correct.

"Do you want me to walk you home?" Akaza asked.

"Don't you have training to do?" Hoshino questioned with a frown.

"I do," He nodded and added. "However, I could not just stand by and allow you to wallow in your thoughts for too long."

In response, Hoshino winced and answered. "… Okay, it was my fault that I nearly got hit anyway…"

While she knew that her halo would've absorbed the damage, she didn't want to inconvenience whoever was driving the truck.

Both students proceeded to walk the rest of the way back to Hoshino's home in silence.

She was grateful that her friend decided not to ask her anything, as she was still too absorbed in her thoughts to properly answer any questions.

It didn't take too long for the two to reach their destination.

"It has been quite a while since I have last seen your house." Akaza remarked.

Hoshino's house was fairly large for its location in Abydos city, which was a clean white and looked wide enough to house up to thirty people inside, and then was surrounded by stone gates, with two guards standing dutifully next to the entrance.

"Hoshino-sama." The two guards bowed in respect.

"Well, see you tomorrow…" Hoshino awkwardly waved goodbye to her friend.

Akaza watched as the pink-haired girl stepped through the gate's entrance, before one of the guards approached him.

"Would you kindly excuse yourself from the premises, Hoshino-sama deserves some rest." The guard had the decency to sound polite.

"Of course." Akaza nodded and proceeded to turn around.

He knew that she was cursing herself for her failure against Ryota, but believed that asking her about it would only worsen her mood.

"Not to mention her father…"

Akaza suspected that it was another reason why she seemed oblivious to her surroundings.

However, he also knew that it was a sensitive topic for her and respectfully remained quiet on that as well.

After all, it was difficult to be the daughter of a high-ranking member of the Kivotos Grand Council and current heir of the Takanashi-Kuchinashi clan.


"I'm home…" Hoshino greeted in a dull tone.

"Hoshino-sama, welcome home." A maid walked up to her and bowed respectfully. "Do you want me to prepare dinner?"

"I guess…" Hoshino didn't really care either way.

"Oh, and Kenji-sama is in his office, I believe that he wants to see you as soon as you come home." The maid added with a small frown.

It was to be expected. Hoshino knew that her father wanted to hear about what she did during her first time at Abydos High School.

"Okay then…"

In a detached tone, Hoshino made her way upstairs and into the second floor hallways.

Step. Step. Step.

Every footstep she made, she felt something sink within her heart, as she knew that her father would have choice words once he found out about what happened to her earlier at the school.

"Why do I keep doing this…?"

Click. Creak.

Hoshino slowly opened the door that would lead her into the office of her father, her feet dragging across the tiled floor as she stepped inside.

"Hoshino." A deep voice called out to her.

She winced to herself, knowing who that voice belonged to.

"Take a seat." He ordered in an even tone.

Her blue and orange eyes took notice of a chair set up a few meters away from the desk where her father worked.

Hoshino sighed and made her way towards the chair, before she sat down and stared straight towards the desk, which had a nameplate of "Takanashi Kenji" on top.

However, as she looked up from the nameplate, she only saw the back of her father's chair, as he was facing the large window behind his desk, as opposed to even glancing at her.

"Why won't you look me in the eye…?" She thought, gripping the hems of her skirt.

"Hoshino," Her father spoke, his tone radiating complete authority. "How was your first day at this… Abydos High School?"

" … "

Hoshino wanted to answer him, but her words kept dying every time she opened her mouth.

"I… I…"

For all her constant cursings and vents in private, when it came to actually speaking to her father, she couldn't even muster even a single coherent sentence.

Why would she? Ever since the day she and Yume were forced to leave Abydos to avoid a devastating sandstorm, she had difficulty speaking to him directly, much less maintaining eye contact for more than a few seconds.

"Well?" He questioned. "I have all the time in the world."

"Dammit…" Hoshino cursed under her breath.

"If you don't wish to answer me, then where is Yume?" Her father decided to change the topic.

"Yume-neesan…"

"She… She…" Hoshino tried to speak up.

"She stayed behind because of that school, did she not?" The man behind the desk said, as if he knew the answer already.

"Yes…" Hoshino mumbled, forcing herself to look at the floor.

Creak.

The chair shifted ever-so slightly, prompting the pink-haired girl to look up and found herself freezing on the spot.

She caught a small glimpse of her father's piercing orange eye looking directly into hers. It was the only physical feature she inherited from him.

"Hoshino, be honest with me now." He spoke, his tone remaining even. "I sense a change in your aura. Did you use Horus Vision?"

"… Yes…" Her own words felt hollow.

"Did you get into a fight?"

"… Yes…"

"Did you win against your opponent?"

" … "

Hoshino gripped the hems of her skirt even tighter, refusing to even look her father in the eye.

"Hoshino," He said. "Just answer me. Did you win your fight with Horus Vision?"

" … "

Creak.

"Hoshino, I assure you that I will neither be angry nor disappointed." The man turned his chair slightly again, if only to get a better glimpse of his daughter. "Just be honest with me."

"He won't be angry, he says." Hoshino thought to herself. "He won't be disappointed, he says…"

She knew that she had to answer him eventually.

"I… lost…" Hoshino could barely get her answer out. "I… lost to… Kougami-senpai…"

Creak.

"I see." He said, turning his chair back to face the window. "The fact that you have lost means that you still have room to improve your skills."

Hoshino couldn't help but flinch at those words, especially the tone in which he said them.

"Sorry…" She mumbled.

"Why am I apologizing to him?"

"Do not be." Her father told her. "I only advise you to keep training to ensure your own strength will be superior to your peers."

"But I don't want to be stronger than anyone else."

She wanted to say it. She wanted desperately to say it out loud, but she could only nod and continue staring at the floor.

"I do have one last question for you," The man said. "Do you intend on protecting the abandoned school that Yume cherishes deeply?"

"…!?" Hoshino widened her eyes at that.

She didn't expect him to ask that question.

"If you have trouble deciding, you have the rest of the day to give an answer." Ryota's words appeared in her thoughts. "I will be waiting for your response, Takanashi."

"Kougami-senpai…"

"I…"

"How do I answer him? I haven't even decided yet."

"The school…"

"Do I even have to say anything?"

"Yume-neesan…"

"Is there even a point?"

"… I don't know…" She decided to be honest.

"I don't want to lie to him… and to myself…"

"I see." His tone gave nothing away.

Creak.

The man moved his chair yet again, which allowed Hoshino to vaguely make out her father's bearded face and both of his piercing orange eyes that seemed to glow inside the dimly-lit office.

"Yume has always been quite sentimental and protective of what she cares for." He started, his tone almost sounding fond. "I have no doubt that she will live up to her late mother's legacy as the Angel Master of the Kuchihashi family."

"Where is he going with this?" Hoshino wondered to herself.

"However, the attachments she makes can get in the way of what truly matters in the long run." The man continued with a sigh, before his eyes directly stared into his daughter's.

"It's that look again…!" Hoshino almost instinctively reached out for the pink shotgun behind her back.

"Hoshino, I know that your sister means so much to you, but is it truly worth risking your life for an abandoned school?" Her father questioned, his tone firm and direct.

"You…!" The pink-haired girl felt her right arm go limp, allowing her hand to move away from her gun.

"I am only concerned for your growth, as well as your sister's, that is all." The man finished, closing his eyes.

"Are you really?"

Creak.

"I believe this concludes our meeting." Her father said, turning his chair slightly to pick up a document from his desk. "Tell the maids that I will not make it to dinner. I still have these files to sort through."

"Okay." Hoshino muttered, standing up from the chair.

Click. Creak. Thud.

The pink-haired girl left the office, feeling all of her remaining energy sucked out of her from the meeting alone.

"Hoshino-sama," The maid from earlier approached her, her expression filled with concern. "How did the meeting with your father go?"

"I'll be in my room for a bit."

Without another word, Hoshino walked past the maid and made her way towards the direction of her room, which was the opposite of her father's office.


Click. Creak. Thud.

After only a few minutes of walking, she found her bedroom and stepped inside.

She took off her tactical vest and carelessly threw it to the side, and then stared directly at the wall for a few seconds.

"That bastard…" The girl thought, tightening her grip onto her shotgun.

Feeling a sudden rush of anger, she pulled back her arm holding onto her personal weapon with a darkened expression.

"What the hell does he know!?"

CLANK! Thud.

She threw Eye of Horus towards the wall with great strength, which left behind a small dent, before it landed straight onto her bed.

However, she widened her eyes afterwards, realizing what she did.

Without hesitation, she rushed to the bed and immediately picked up her shotgun, inspecting it for any damage.

"Thank goodness." She breathed out, seeing that it was unscathed.

"I can't believe he got to me again…"

Shaking her head, she reached out and gently placed her gun next to the nightstand, before slumping on top of her bed.

"I'm so… tired…"

Hoshino turned around in her bed and stared blankly at the ceiling, as thoughts flowed through her mind.

Did she have what it takes to help defend Abydos High School from completely collapsing?

She wanted to say yes to Yume, she truly did. However, the feelings of doubt suffocated her chest as she recalled her father's words before she left for the school earlier.

"Hoshino, I know that your sister means so much to you, but is it truly worth risking your life for an abandoned school?"

She didn't want to answer him, but as she continued to lay down in silence, she found herself seeing some merit behind what he said.

Was this path something she really wanted to take? To protect a school that has already been abandoned?

She didn't want to let down the people already dedicated to it, especially Yume, as she knew her older step sister missed the school more than anything.

"This school was where I really found myself as a person, I don't want to just leave it to die and be forgotten…"

A small tear went down Hoshino's eye.

"Yume-neesan, please forgive me…"

She wasn't sure if she would bring herself to follow her into a plan that would no doubt cause her pain and heartbreak along the way.

She wanted to have hope for the future like she did, but she couldn't…

"Compared to you and Kougami-senpai, I'm still weak…"

The girl forced her eyes shut, as another sentence from her father came to mind.

"The fact that you have lost means that you still have room to improve your skills."

She gritted her teeth as her body trembled against the soft sheets in her bed.

"Why can't he just accept my strength the way it is now…?"

Before she knew it, she had fallen into a deep sleep.

Unbeknownst to her, a small drone had been spying on her through one of her bedroom's windows.

The drone flew away before it could get noticed, as it went over the gates and landed in the hand of a hooded figure.

The hooded figure pressed a button on the drone, before a deep voice spoke out from it.

"Kagami, have you gathered all the information?" The voice questioned.

The figure pulled off his hood, revealing a middle aged man with graying dark blue hair and grey eyes.

"Of course, PMC Director, I shall send the data to you right away." Kagami answered, pressing another button.

After a brief moment of silence, the voice, known as the PMC Director, grunted in approval.

"Excellent work, as expected of a former scientist for Millennium." The PMC Director said.

"I aim to please." Kagami smirked.

"Once I give out the data to our researchers, I will lend you a hundred of my soldiers to take over Abydos High School." The PMC Director continued.

"Hmph, is that sorry excuse of a building truly worth bringing a small army over?" Kagami asked, raising an eyebrow over his employer's logic.

"All will be revealed eventually, Kagami, all will be revealed." The PMC Director said ominously, before the signal on the drone was cut off, ending the call.

Kagami simply shook his head and pulled his hood back on to conceal his identity.

He had already come this far after betraying the very city he was born in, especially his daughter.

"No matter, this will be done." Kagami said, making his escape away from the gates before he could get caught.


With that, this is the first part of a prelude that will set up the Abydos arc, to lay out the ground work on how the arc will go down moving forward.

Again, this is an Alternative Universe style of fanfic, so canon is almost immediately out of the question, but I'm going to try my hardest to keep the lore, concepts, and characters as similar to canon as I can, while still doing my own thing with it.

What do you all think?

EDIT (02/07/2024): I made rewrites to this one and the rest of the parts, just to let you all know!