Wandering the streets of Fukushima City the day after I got to Japan, I didn't feel anything special about it.

  The streets are barren with very few people, comparing to Tokyo this pce looks as if it didn't belong to the same country.

  Japan is one of the world's technological centers, focusing mainly on infrastructure and life improvement. Unlike Mu who focused on biology and biomechanic, and U.S.A.'s weapon development.

  Since I am in Japan now... I don't know what to wear. A white girl with bright silver hair and azure eyes, I would always be the center of attention. I thought of wearing my usual gear, my trench coat, or Ars Goetia.

  I spoke to Kra about this, and she suggested that I should change into a haori or yukata. I can disguise myself as a Demon Syer as she described them as...

  'A colorful bunch.'

  So I'm on my way to get some new clothes before Mitsuki arrive. I look down at my phone... let's see... the tailor shop is on the right...

  I look to my right... maybe I got it wrong? Because in front of me is a funeral parlor, with all the decorated coffins outside.

  "Yan's Tailor...", I look at the name on my phone, then at the name on the billboard, "Yan's Funeral Parlor."

  Well, it could just be a disguise.

  I went into the store. The interior are mostly made out of wood, with a front desk on the side and a door leading further inside.

  There was no one here... oh, a bell.

  Ding~

  Hmm...

  DingDingDingDingDingDingDingDing

  "STOP!", a man wearing a bck outfit ran out, he looked suspicious, to say the least, that disheveled head of bck hair didn't help. Thin and in his mid thirty, he doesn't seem to be good with shaving, just look at his goate, he didn't even cut it right. And... he has a Talisman stuck right on his forehead.

  "Yuugure sent me here to get some clothes.", I stated.

  "Oh! Are you a new Demon Syer?", he tilted his head with a wide creepy smile.

  "You could say that.", I don't deny it. As I can become one if I want to.

  If a human can achieve it, then so can I.

  "That's good! Since The Parade is coming up soon, any newbies are all welcome!! Come in, come in!", he opened the door for me.

  Inside there are coffins on both sides lining the wall.

  "Follow me!!", he skipped ahead of me, going deeper inside.

  Hmm, this pce is strange. I can feel there is more than meets the eye... so I expanded Survive's search range.

  I blink once, my eyes glow an ethereal blue... I can hear and feel everything. Numbers float around me, and... I can see them.

  Spirits are everywhere here. And they all are shivering in fear because they instinctively know... I am their natural predator.

  I follow the man towards the door at the end of the room. Once again, be opened the door for me.

  Huh... this really is a tailor's shop. With different attires everywhere, school uniform, yuta, haori, kimono... and more.

  "Pick the design you want, then I just need your three sizes.", he urged me and went to stand in the corner.

  I took off my trench coat, and went forward. I look around, touching every design... what I look for is style and comfort, not utility since I can cover it with skill alone.

  Ah... I found it. A light blue haori with white cloud patterns, it feels light to the touch, soft, and cozy... this is the one.

  "This one.", I stare at him, making him flinch from the intensity of my eyes, "I will get this one. It's a perfect fit too."

  "That will be—", he stopped as I clicked my tongue.

  "You will give this to me for free.", I commanded him with Euphoria.

  He froze up for a second, then he bowed to me, "Of course, you can get that for free!"

  I smiled, "Then I'll get going now."

  "I hope you come again!"

  I left without saying anything more. Putting on the haori and my trench coat in hand, I make my way out of the store...

  Now I need to get to the Daizoji and meet up with Kra... Mitsuki will be here soon. Her trip was deyed a lot, she should've come st night. The Parade and her family problem deyed her enough.

  What would be a great opening to welcome her? Hm... I lit a cigarette and began to smoke.

  Ah~ this is the shit~ drugs hit just right. Hmm... there are a lot of crows here.

  Oh! I got an idea.

  "Avalon.", I called them out, and all the crows in the area snapped towards me, "We are going to put on a show."

  =0=0=

  It was te in the afternoon, when Mitsuki arrived at the Daijozi Temple, in her Demon Syer attire - a deep blue yukata with snowfke patterns. Since the one calling her to come over was an Onmyoji.

  But... this was not something she expected.

  The entire temple, deep inside a mountainous forest, was consumed by darkness. A tornado made out of crows, circling around the pce.

  Their glowing red eyes mixed with their glossy bck feather formed a sight to behold. Something that signified DEATH in the purest way possible.

  "What is happening...?", she instinctively reached for her katana, ready to pull out any time.

  Then some crows began to fly towards Mitsuki. Their form blurred as they traveled faster than her eyes could track.

  "Caw!!" "Caw!!" "Caw!!" "Caw!!" "Caw!!" "Caw!!" "Caw!!" "Caw!!" "Caw!!" "Caw!!" "Caw!!" "Caw!!" "Caw!!" "Caw!!" "Caw!!" "Caw!!"

  She luckily dodged the first one as it died hitting a tree, and then she drew her sword— which quickly formed an ice bde— cutting two more in half. She rolled to the side, evading five.

  As she regained her bance, she stared and... the bck and red tornado of crows lit on fire. She flinched from the heat alone.

  "What... happened to Kra...", she muttered, completely horrified of what she just thought of. Kra might be dead...

  These birds... not only are they abnormal, they are strong too... she has to retreat.

  But the crows would not let her go, thousands of crows began to circle around Mitsuki, not only making her sweat but melting her ice bde too.

  "Caw!!", one came from behind and grazed her right shoulder.

  "Caw!!", another left a deep ssh on her left thigh.

  "Caw!!", one more sshed a shallow wound on her neck.

  Again and again, no matter how hard Mitsuki tried to dodge, she will always be hit. Not to mention the fme, which cauterizes her wounds instantly. Scars upon scars riddled her body, even if she killed hundreds there are still thousands. They are overwhelming.

  These things... they are her natural opposition.

  Freezing them alone would not be enough... so she must reach deeper inside her Gem... the power of Entropy.

  She had been using her power the wrong way, she knew that. Motion Entropy was just half the truth, reversing the process to freeze things...

  She just has to... let it go—

  BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!!

  Someone was attacking from the outside, with what sounded like artillery bombardment—

  "What the fuck?!", Mitsuki dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding a huge silver ship breaking through the tornado.

  "Who the fuck uses a ship as a battering ram?!", she screamed out.

  And to answer her, a girl emerged as the crows scattered. Long silver hair, wearing a blue haori on top of a white shirt and white leggings hugging her legs tightly.

  Those azure gazes, sharp and intense. They were haunting, to forget about them would be an impossible task. Charlotte Silvi, the Silver Princess of Humanity.

  "Hello Mitsuki, I heard you needed my help.", she smiled, that haughty and prideful grin. It always sends a chill down Mitsuki's back.

  "Y-You came?!", Mitsuki was surprised, even if she knew Charlotte would come.

  "Of course I came, that is what friends are for, right?", she replied, walking toward Mitsuki while carrying a silver coffin.

  "Why... are you carrying a coffin?", Mitsuki wondered, sheathing her sword after seeing the crows scattered.

  "It's my new toy, sent by someone I really hate.", she chuckled, "Well, Kra is waiting for you inside, if she's not dead."

  "Right! Kra!", suddenly remembering the Onmyoji, she ran as fast as possible into the temple.

  While Charlotte reached her left hand out, turning the ship back into a shield.

  "How was it, Charlotte?", a crow nded on her shoulder.

  "Did it scare you?"

  "Charlotte."

  "Charlotte."

  "Tell us."

  "Can you avoid that?"

  "Charlotte."

  "Tell us."

  To respond to the voices of Avalon, Charlotte merely let out a chuckle with an amused smile, "Of course, I can, something so simple like that... doesn't need Malice to win against."

  She genuinely believes that she cannot be defeated. That is just who she is, a deranged narcissistic sociopath.

  "Well, scatter. They will get suspicious if I take too long."

  The crows did as she ordered them to. They really listen to her, as they know... they cannot defeat her, yet.

  =0=0=

  Well... Avalon definitely made a mess, but not as much as I expected them to do. I mean, there are cherry blossoms littered everywhere on the ground, and cleaning them up will be a hassle. No permanent damage to the temple buildings, just some minor scratches that won't do anything serious.

  Some of these buildings stood for more than 500 years after all.

  Hmm... there they are. Mitsuki is helping Kra with her walk... from the look of it, the Miko is exhausted having to maintain a barrier to protect most of the temple. Even if Avalon did hold back, the might of the entire animal kingdom was too much for her to handle.

  Those crows... they are not normal crows, more like perfect Chimeric amalgamations of all kinds of animals. Because, for Avalon, death is only a means to an end.

  Each death makes the hivemind stronger, transferring all of the knowledge and abilities to the rest. I don't know if I will be able to take them at some point.

  Even with the restriction left by Theia... I fear what it said may just be a lie, as I didn't feel anything when The World imposed its so-called Nerf. I can still unleash Enuma Elis. Avalon's popution may be infinite.

  That leads to Kalpas, the Records of Nature, if Theia's words are to be taken seriously, having the power to destroy the whole crust of the Earth.

  This would be bad for me if Theia was lying.

  "Charlotte! Can you heal her?!", Mitsuki shouted to get my attention. Ah~ those eyes... there are desperation in them.

  I love it.

  "Mitsuki, you know I am not a kind person, right?", I questioned her.

  "B-But...", she frowned, looking at Kra, who was having a hard time breathing.

  "She's just exhausted, id her ft on a soft surface and let her rest. There is no need for me to do anything.", I got out another cigarette... hmm... there are only three more. I need to make more.

  "O-Okay— are you smoking?", she tilted her head and gave a a strange look.

  "Yup.", I lit my cigarette while replying, "I'll go into the forest to smoke, we can catch up ter."

  "You could burn down the whole forest with that!", she yelled at me, It seemed like her desperation was gone. Shame.

  "It will only burn with my intention, so don't worry.", I took a puff, feeling the ecstasy the countless drugs inside the Euphoric Dust brings.

  "I didn't expect you to get into smoking— wait, you are too young!!", she excimed.

  "Age is just a number, Mitsuki.", I nodded, agreeing with myself.

  "I will have a talk with you ter, young dy! We really need to work on your personality.", she huffed, pouting and crossing her arms.

  Flop.

  Both me and Mitsuki look at Kra, who just flopped down due to not having enough support. Well, she's certainly out cold with that fall.

  "KLARA!! I'M SO SORRY!!", Mitsuki quickly picked the Miko up and rushed inside the nearest house.

  I just continue to have a walk while smoking.

  Bzzzt!!

  What is this now? I rolled my eyes.

  I took out my phone, seeing who was calling me... Seria.

  "What is it?"

  [Err... Charlotte, you can create pink crystals, right?]

  Her voice was a bit serious, nothing like her id-back usual self.

  "Yes, I can. What's wrong? Something you can't handle?", I said with a tease.

  [Well, a new drug is beginning to circute around. And the source of that drug is your crystals, or more specifically, the crystals covering a karaoke house.]

  Oh shit, I forgot about that. I should've gone back and collected them all if I knew they would give me such a high!

  "What's the dosage?", I asked, keeping calm.

  [0,01 milligrams per kilogram, in the form of gss candy.]

  Huh, that's not a lot. Well, considering it put people into a coma with just touch alone— wait! I could've started a drug empire! Fuck!!

  Wait... what did Seria say?

  "You used the metric system?"

  [Of course, I do! Everyone knows the Imperial system is shitty, I don't want to do something so stupid as measuring using washing machines or bananas!]

  That's a valid point.

  "Well, what do you want me to do anyway?"

  [Since your drug crystals can quite literally triple doctors' saries, can you do anything about them? Like recalling and shits like that?]

  Can I?

  Fufu, you can, my dear.

  "No."

  [Really? What a shame~ well, it isn't really my problem until it reaches America, since, you know, Las Vegas is a drug den.]

  "Good luck with that.", I don't really care about people dying of drugs, even if I'm the culprit. Though... for my own sake, I would want to get those crystals back.

  "Oh, and if you can get all the avaible crystals. Bring it to me."

  [May I ask why?]

  "They are mine, and mine alone. They are my property, I don't want people to have their hands on my stuff without my permission."

  I can make more cigarettes with that bunch.

  Taking a long inhale, I breathed out a cloud of white smoke and...

  "Do whatever you can—"

  [Aaaand done, three tonnes of drug crystals are now on the rooftop of my residence.]

  "That was fast.", I was surprised.

  [Well~ trolling Mu, until it accepts to be the fifty-first state, is my pastime. I'll hang up now, gotta meet the British Envoy, Babel has a lost British prince after all~]

  And she hung up.

  I put my phone away, my eyes became sharper as I put on my guard. Staring at the forest...

  "You can come out now.", I sighed, taking in another puff.

  And from the foliage, Londinium came out - as if going through a portal. It stands looming in front of me. It's really slender, if not for that fucking amazing floaty hair, it would look like a sick bug.

  "Why are you here?", I asked with a hint of annoyance.

  "To continue our lesson, of course. The fighting style is given to all Jury of the Pale Court.", it replied as if it was the most normal thing.

  "Why are so fixated on that?", I frowned. I don't really like it.

  "Because it's fun, especially when I have nothing to do except watch anime all day.", it somehow shrugged with four arms.

  Then it just hit me. Londinium... wanting to become my teacher and me being it's disciple... learning Japanese... watching anime all day long...

  The Records of Venus is a weeb.

  "Well, continuing our lesson.", it grabbed a katana out from thin air, then another, and another, and another. Total of four katanas...

  "Try to fight back—"

  Before it could even finish, I threw the shield at it— transforming into its ship form. I expected Londinium to be fttened.

  But the fucker just parried the ship into the sky! What the hell?!

  I quickly recalled Prydwen, by then... Londinium was so close to me. So I doubled down, charging past its swords and reaching their chest. It caught the Venus creature off guard—

  Pressing the fourth button, the sides of Ouroboros Omniscia opened up, revealing thrusters.

  "IGNITE!!"

  The thrusters went off, expelling blue jets of fire. For the sole reason of...

  BOOOMMM!!!!

  The fourth button is a fucking ser!!

  Londinium was knocked back with a direct hit in the chest! Hehahaha!!!

  It got shot into the sky, flying far away... hmm, that should handle that thing for now.

  Though something makes me kinda worry, there was no hint of bloodlust. Even if this was a "lesson"... having no bloodlust wouldn't make sense.

  As the Akasha, I am very sensitive to emotions... fuck. Londinium didn't see me as a threat—

  "I'm back."

  Londinium appeared right in front of me, there was no visible damage to its bodysuit... what the fuck?

  "How did I do?", I asked it, pying along.

  "You are a natural at it, but you have to keep the fight going longer.", it crossed its arms, nodding to itself.

  "What do you mean by that?"

  Ending a fight swiftly, showing that I have total control of the situation. Why should I make a fight longer?

  "By prolonging the fight, showing your dominance will slowly break your opponent, gradually sinking them into despair... and when you had enough fun, your opponent will be left as a broken mess.", it said in a sagely manner, even with that screeching voice.

  Isn't that what I've been doing all this time?

  "I am already doing that, sometimes. You don't need to teach me anything.", I frowned, not enjoying this at all.

  Londinium picked up two leaves from the ground with its right hands.

  "This is how you fight.", it ripped one leaf in half. Swift and decisive.

  "This is how the Juries of the Pale Court fight.", using three hands, Londinium slowly tore the leaf bit by bit.

  The persistence of making me learn something I already knew was getting on my nerves. Frankly, I feel insulted.

  "I don't have time for this, my friend is being hunted by her great-grandmother for some sort of ritual that will go wrong.", I expined while leaning against the coffin.

  "I see, so what does that have to do with you?"

  "The entirety of Japan may or may not be erased from the face of the Earth.", I said in a casual manner.

  "Oh damn, this is really important.", it turned its back to me, muttering to itself, "I can't watch anime if the country producing it is gone..."

  What a weeb.

  "Alright!", it turned to me, "You are free to go on your journey, my disciple!"

  "I am not your disciple.", I affirmed with a gre.

  "I will be going now!", it summoned the katanas, cutting air— creating a portal, "Oh, and I put up a barrier so nobody would know what happened here."

  "Sayonara, my disciple!", and it jumped into the portal.

  How the fuck did my auto-transtion not work?

  Maybe the reason why Londinium chose Japanese was because it sound closest to their original nguage on Venus~?

  Good theory, Reverie. I don't care.

  Now, I should make some more cigarettes before heading back inside...