The Kingdom of Eonis

[Bloodedge]

Miki's question of fairness, whether rhetorical or not, received a shrug and a casual snicker from Amakusa. He did lay claim to this Avatar's ridiculousness when first realizing it himself, but he had to admit that he enjoyed it in use. This amount of potential in one entity was beyond satisfactory, even unfair just as Miki claimed, but the clarity he felt within his own mind was something he otherwise found sparingly. Whatever the case, the first of their group was stepping forward to claim their reward. As one could expect, it was none other than Aerona who took the first share. Amakusa saw this coming a mile away, and he even looked to the more timid prince with a nod, prompting him to take the second share.

And take, the prince did. He didn't undergo much of a change, but his clothes gained various segments of magical, bronze armor to form a lattice on his boots and gloves, as well as a similar design on his coattails and tunic. He wore no crown, but the hair hanging behind his right ear braided itself in the way a newly-crowned prince of this kingdom typically wore it. 'Yes, we're definitely skipping that. I told you, I can do anything. I've got a Magic Cheat in this form.' This was his singular reply to Miki as he, too, stepped forward to claim his prize. He had no use of the articles, or even the weaponry at present, so he chose to do something else with it. This raw Mystic Code was a thing he held out toward the blonde lass. "Could you hold onto this? I don't really want to waste any of it in this form. That room should be able to keep its structure, being time-locked and all."

[Apollymi]

It seemed their private conversation would come with more jest, as Amakusa confirmed that he was indeed able to do just about anything in his current form. He even went so far as to refer to it as a Magic Cheat. "Definitely seems like it," Miki confirmed of her knowledge given the variety of abilities he'd been shown using. After the Prince stepped forward to claim his Miki had been preparing to think of what to do with the ones she'd claimed when Amakusa held his out to her, asking if she'd store them for him since he didn't want to use them now. He claimed that the space he'd given her was also timed-locked and as such the materials they collected here would hold their integrity until such a time as they were pulled out again. Miki managed to look surprised, "Really? I mean I figured I didn't know everything about it yet, but...jeez that is extra helpful. Also ridiculous... absolutely ridiculous. I mean I barely know what to do with something like that..." she said the golden ball appeared before her eyes via her own magic as she sat atop her weapon after it transformed back into a pillow. "But of course, I can hang onto it for you, just a second..." she mentioned.

She'd found recently that she was able to use her Mana on this sphere directly to open it, without the necessity of her hands through her Mana Manipulation ability so she had the orb turning within her eye sight and some 10 twists later she and the orb and everything touching her person would disappear into that once completely white empty space. The space was now a bit different. She'd visited it a few more times since they'd split up, and began partitioning it, to keep it more organized in her own mind. Upon reaching the room she created a new partition, named it Mystic Codes and when she did she walked into that partitioned piece of infinity and placed her own new Mystic Codes to one side, and the ones she'd taken from Amakusa to the other. With this type of organization she could easily separate all aspects of the things she had going on within this room. And soon enough she'd be standing back in the center of the room ready to return to the space she'd left.

In the meantime, Aerona managed to look at her brother with a chuckle. "That's more like it. At least you look the part now..." she said playfully punching her brother in the arm. "I suppose with him gone we have..." she paused seeing Miki disappear. What kind of trickery was that? How were two people who looked totally unprepared for battle so nonchalant afterwards as well. She could hardly imagine what went on with these people, but she kind of admired them if she was being honest. Of course, she absolutely wouldn't be that, but it was at least worth a passing thought in her mind.

[Bloodedge]

"Hai. There are a lot of features. If you want to give it consideration, it's structured something like a secondary source file in a game's coding. In every RPG, there's a room filled with every item players can collect, including the ones that were created but never made obtainable. Think of that space as a copy of the same room─ an empty one that you can fill with whatever you like." With that said, Amakusa stood in wait of the blonde's return. He gave a few moments of consideration to what he'd do with the codes, but he came up with nothing. It seemed this Avatar granted him a great deal of clarity to plan his way to victory, but it did not apply to his other selves.

In a matter of moments, Miki returned from her treasure room. The new monarchs of Eonis were beginning a discussion amongst themselves, it seemed, and Amakusa was content to stay out of it. "As do you, sister. It is a shame things had to end this way, but I suppose father was taken long ago," the prince said. What Aerona had to say, he was unsure of. He, too, was taken by the shock of Miki's disappearance. These people had strange abilities, and skills beyond what he ever thought possible. He would have thought them tainted by Demons, if he didn't have evidence to the contrary. "... What strange warriors those are."

[Apollymi]

Miki heard out the things that Amakusa had to say about the room he'd given her as a present a few weeks prior. It was quite a strange thing to imagine, but she knew exactly what he meant. "Sou ka, that's really really good. Arigatou na..." she said once more. It was beyond her understanding why he'd gone so far as to give her something with so many varied uses. She'd only done something she thought was simple and sweet for him, still she couldn't help but feel strangely appreciated by this generosity. Soon after she left, she returned sitting atop her pillow with the puzzle ball still in her lap. She seemed at the moment to be quite relaxed and managed to pick up on the start of the conversation between brother and sister. "Alright, stored everything. And redecorated a little..." she said lightly. "Let me know when you want that back... or if you want me to store anything else... or if you like need anything else. I've started a pretty decent inventory," she commented absently.

Aerona apparently looked the part of proper Queen now according to her brother. She chuckled at his words with her nose turned up in the air. "But of course, I've always looked this way after all..." she managed. Upon seeing the blonde lass return in such a lax manner she couldn't help but be more confused. Her brother was quite right, "They are strange indeed. It's hardly apparent how they manage to be so helpful..." she said with a shake of her head. "Regardless, work to be done. First, the castle needs repair. Then the Knights need to be re-established, so order can be restored. Then we have to get all of the people settled back into the Kingdom," she claimed. While all of these things certainly needed to be done, the order of them was a key component into making the Demi-Human/Human Kingdom work harmoniously. Her words were a bit too tyrannical for an initial approach, and would end with her being broke and without the people on her side. Miki looked at the lass and sighed. She supposed it was now her turn to step up as Kou had done earlier to take responsibility for the secondary half of this adventure. "With all due respect, Queen Aerona, doing it that way will make you destitute in a matter of months. Not to mention it would do nothing to reassure the Demi-Humans, who fought off the Demonic Beasts here."

[Bloodedge]

Amakusa nodded. There was much use to the tool he'd crafted for Miki while assuming his original Avatar's form, and still a few other things he'd yet to mention. He actually wondered if it was worthwhile to address the matter at present, or if he should wait for a better time to do so. She did, after all, hardly have time to add a reasonable collection... as far as he knew. Miki's return came with the information that she had, in fact, accumulated something. "Oh? Good on you; I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you've already started growing a collection. It might be worth it to tell you about the rest..."

As Aerona spoke of her plans, Aeronius seemed to be taken aback, just a bit. She was always so forceful, it was hard to even keep track of her concepts at times. Aeronius was silent for a moment, but Miki's intervention planted in his mind just the segue he needed to speak on the princess'... or rather, the soon-to-be Queen's ideals. "She's right, sister. Perhaps we should switch the order of your plan? If we let the people settle and restore their homes first, the effort to rebuild the kingdom will be simpler, will it not? We can let everyone, Human and Demi-Human, help us rebuild, and the Royal Knights can be reestablished... perhaps with an application, rather than immediate access based on nobility? Let us not simply go the route of father; we don't want to take the path of Demon madness."

Amakusa had been prepared to speak as well, but between Miki and Aeronius, he didn't have to say a word. He felt himself nearly phase out of existence for a moment. He could recognize this sensation. This Avatar of his wasn't going to remain for much longer, but then... he wasn't surprised. Much like the Dragonoid Akashi, this form was well beyond what should have been obtainable to him, especially given these ridiculous parameters and the like. "Hmm. This didn't last very long at all."

[Apollymi]

Miki heard out what Amakusa had to say in reference to her storage space. Apparently the lad was a bit surprised by her already managing to gather a decent stock of items. She'd still simply chuckle managing to shift the whole thing off. "I mean, tell me whatever... whenever you like," she said with a slight quality of teasing in her voice. "Assuming, of course, I don't figure it out first!~" she added at last. But soon enough they were moving on in conversation quite a bit, to the matters addressed by Queen Aerona. It seemed that she heard what the blonde lass had to say, and might have been about to chide her for questioning her tactics, but well, her brother spoke soon after. And though always abrasive she seemed alright with at least hearing out his statements.

"Brother?" she said somewhat softly to the start of his conversation. It seemed he thought her ideas were fine, but the order of them was wrong for the goals they had in mind for the Kingdom. He claimed that the people should be allowed to settle and organize first. Then they could be apart of the rebuilding process and it would be easier. She gave it pause, it was the case that they wished to create long lasting peace with the Demi-Humans. And she didn't want to end up without money and she certainly didn't wish to follow a path similar to her father. But being such a rough military type leader was all she knew. "Well it isn't as if I intend to be Father," she snapped. Still she had some reservations. "It still seems counter-intuitive. All of the things listed will still be done, what does their order matter? How will it be simpler? How will it actually save me from becoming 'destitute' as she put it?" the Princess' questions were ones which made sense, but they didn't come without a silver lining. "I don't mind changing the way the Knights work, I always thought merit should have something to do with such things. But how will I know merit for things I am unfamiliar with..." she commented with hesitation. It seemed that the Princess was a bit fairer than she was given credit for. Miki chuckled, in response hearing it out she knew exactly what to do, but she wouldn't comment just yet. First she wanted to see if the lass' brother had any answers for her, after all, Miki herself wouldn't always be here to mediate.

Amakusa seemed to be experiencing a coming shift between his Avatars. He noted this by claiming the one he was currently wasn't likely to last and noting how short the time had been for it. "Well, with the others, it seems to be the case that they last longer if they aren't exerting themselves. These ones when they are created seem to be out of necessity. We'll likely find it easier to keep them up when our base levels catch up to them," she hypothesized based on the length of time they'd managed to spend as Dragons.

[Bloodedge]

"Well, I have been tossing around the idea. I'll probably wait until you've finished solving the puzzle." Yes, indeed. There was still the matter of the helix puzzle he'd stored in that room after creating it. Once that was solved, she would be able to make full use of everything. Only then would it even matter if he explained things fully. As such, he'd wait for that moment. For now, he was continuing to fade, so he chose to take it upon himself by reverting to the form of Kou. "That's better. It was starting to feel pretty weird," he mused.

Moving on to the discussion between monarchs, Aeronius was once again skittish in his approach. This time, however, he knew just what to say. "With all due respect, sister, the methods you suggest are somewhat tyrannical. These people are in a fragile way; they need a sense of stability. If I were among them, I would want nothing more than to know that I was not simply included in the reclaiming of Eonis, but also in its restoration. It should produce a sense of... equality. If they can feel that, they shall truly feel like members of the kingdom. That would certainly quell the chances of oligarchy."

[Apollymi]

It seemed that Amakusa wouldn't bother explaining the uses of the items given to the lass as a present, until she finished up her puzzle. To be honest, she'd not gotten an opportunity to work on that one, considering all that was necessary while she was in the Migrating Vale. It'd been her hope to complete it before they met up again, or maybe in the downtime of being in Eonis but... that time had yet to come. "Hai hai, I'll be sure to let you know when its finished then," she said with amusement in her voice. She found these things interesting and enjoyed talking to this man about them. And soon enough he returned to his original form, the white haired man known as Kou. "Okaerinasai!~" Miki said to the lad welcoming his primary avatar back into existence. As she wondered over the depth of this gift, the monarchs of Eonis seemed to be coming to some sort of understanding.

Aeronius, though meek in nature, seemed to know exactly what to say to his sister. She began thinking at least lightly of how the people would feel in this situation. If they needed stability she could understand that. And of course, she'd like everyone to feel like they were equal but... how did that work out, exactly. "That's overly idealistic, Brother..." said Aerona. She'd been thinking about what he said and in truth her statement would make sense given how she was raised. "The Oligarchy exists because besides people it takes money to fund a Kingdom. Those who have it and give, can levy their opinions. As objectionable as that may be, it is the reason the funding is available to do things like reconstruct the Kingdom. If we cut off such a system for the sake of 'equality' we'll all die before anything is done." Aerona concluded. She'd like to believe in what her brother had to say. And she'd like for the people to be on her side, but it didn't seem to be a functional way to run a Kingdom, especially one already in disarray.

Miki chuckled, she knew exactly what this Kingdom needed, and both of the Monarchs also knew, but they simply hadn't made it all the way to the end yet. Miki stared at the pair and began speaking from her perch, all the while a glow would begin to overtake her. "Actually, you're both right in this case. Or wrong, depending on how you wish to see it. You do want the people on your side and to feel safe, comfortable and equal. But you also want and need the same amount of money provided by your former aristocracy, which they will not give you without the status quo of their previous positions," Miki said she'd thought through the whole of the situation already so she knew how it would play out. Actually, it reminded her a bit of a game she'd played when she was younger, but beyond that it reminded her of her day to day life as a consultant for failing and declining businesses. "Obviously, you can't uphold those old notions, as it would simply recreate the problem the Kingdom had previously. So, if what you want is your people and the money you need, then what you need, isn't money sitting in the coffers of an elite few people who just want to express themselves. You need it in the hands of every man, woman and child. Demi-Human and Human, noble and commoner..." she said with a knowing smile. "Basically, you need to restructure your markets and treasury. Everything else, will fall into place after that. And now is the perfect time to do it, because there's just been a hostile takeover and new management has appeared."

[Bloodedge]

"Tadaima," Kou said as his fists pressed against his lower back, which itself curved to pop his spine. He felt as if he'd recently woken, but in a far different way than the transition between his other Avatars. Whatever the Ruler Class was, it was something far flung from any other sensation. Perhaps he'd be able to toy around with it later. He would have liked to have a bit more access to it, if only to discover more about its Class-related abilities which... seemed quite ridiculous already.

The royalty of Eonis had reached an impasse. Aeronius knew the old ways wouldn't work, that oligarchy would only create further strife and segregation in the kingdom. Something had to be done, but he didn't know what. Aerona argued that preventing such a thing would only result in failure, but surely there had to be something. Luckily, Miki produced the solution. As she spoke, Kou paused and shifted his gaze in her direction. That odd light was not something he had the chance to see himself, but the sensation was incredibly familiar. Within the last hour, he'd felt it before, and it was the only time he'd ever sensed such a thing. He could easily surmise that Miki achieved a similar criteria to his own.

[Apollymi]

Aerona looked to Miki, what she said did make sense. If what they needed was people and money, then what they needed to do, was have money not be limited to certain kinds of people. Still for the girl to speak with such authority on such matters was quite odd. This pair of Adventurers had already shown themselves to be quite strange, and Miki was becoming moreso. The white haired lad Amakusa, had turned back into Kou and seemed to be very different. And now she witnessed a similar glow in Miki that she had to Kou, before he'd turned into a different person. "You are saying that now, in the middle of a crisis... is the time to start over on the way that money works within this Kingdom? From the ground up?" she said seeming surprised. If she understood this other lass correctly fixing the funding problem of the Kingdom, would allow both Aerona and her brother to find happiness in ruling here.

"Yes, that's exactly what I am saying!" the girl said. And with it came that unnerving smile of hers. "Money and education are equalizers for the people. If everyone has both of those things, nobility and nepotism are replaced by honor and merit. This will give you a much stronger base for your Kingdom." she said as her body came full circle. Her hair had shortened in this moment, becoming jet black. Instead of trailing pigtails she now sported two short buns with her own frills hanging off the back of them. Her dazzling red eyes, replaced when they opened with ones which could be classified as golden. She was still floating in the seated position but her pillow had disappeared from beneath her. Her outfit replaced by a Chinese style black halter top with golden filigree and a large opening directly over her cleavage. Her legs covered in black trousers which were fit exactly to her frame with large openings down the sides and laced with golden strings across them. And on her feet small white boots, though her outfit was completed best by what appeared to be a puffy white jacket. Unlike her previous Avatar, this one seemed to support her body's exact natural proportions.

"To make this all happen we start with a few simple steps. The current people who are still alive and well should be allowed to claim any building within the walls that isn't currently owned by someone alive. If they can fix it, they can have it. A Restoration Committee should be established with members from all facets of society represented among them. Day-laborers, craftsmen, merchants, nobility... etc, they will be able to help organize a better way to fix up the entirety of the kingdom from a physical sense. Doing it this way, you will get to see the talents of your people and learn their strengths and weaknesses, while giving them the opportunity to interact with you," this raven haired lass said. Aerona was stunned. Such a thing didn't seem like it could work but she supposed she'd get to see it in action at least a little. Beyond that there was no mention of how this would be funded at all, which was a little concerning but obviously there was more to come. Still she couldn't quite admit that... "Do you see this, Brother?" she said seemingly stunned by the girl's transformation and the information she gave.

[Bloodedge]

While Aerona questioned the blonde, Aeronius gave consideration to the specific approach made. She did raise an excellent point. With the old king gone, and old ways gone as well, it was likely the most ideal time to restructure the kingdom entirely. "It does seem quite sensible. With Eonis under new rule, now is the ideal time to start everything anew. I believe the Demi-Humans would be especially appreciative of it, if they had some say." There was much more to be said, but it would be said by Miki... or rather, by whatever new identity she had from this sudden, ongoing transformation. "Again?" the prince spoke aloud.

Kou continued to play the role of an observer while Miki underwent this change. Over time, his eyes widened. His mouth was repeatedly opening and closing soon after, as this new form with its mainland influence seemed... frankly more stunning to look at, than to sense. He had little choice but to look away after realizing just how long he'd been watching, not even paying mind to a single word that escaped the lass' mouth. Lucky for him, Aeronius chimed in after Aerona's query. The curiosity he had, happened to be based on the earlier mention of the male Adventurer's second name. "I do see it, sister. Does this state have a different name as well?"

[Apollymi]

Aeronius was right of course, all things made about this plan would benefit a Demi-Human/Human United Kingdom. Perhaps this lass required a bit more credit than the normally pessimistic Aerona gave her. Beyond this point though, the girl had indeed transformed and she was quite a stunning sight to behold. Aerona had no jealous inclinations and she found the lass' new form dictated or rather held a strange amount of perfection. And beyond this, her words felt even more trustworthy after this change, as if her own authority was simply over this aspect of creation. "I suppose I can't argue it," Aerona said. All were seemingly stunned by this transformation, enough that Kou's staring went unnoticed by Aerona and whatever this Avatar of Miki was. The question of if she held a different name this time brought pause to the raven-haired lass. "Who me? Did I change?" she said seemingly confused by the occurance.

A moment within her Nexus vision let her know she'd indeed become someone very different, but that being said she felt no different than her usual self. "Oh? I feel like me, the original me. That's pretty good, I understand what you meant now, Kou." she mentioned mostly to herself in this moment appreciating the shift in her own body and her personality. "Tangents about business tend to do weird things to me anyway," she said coming up with a general explanation for why she didn't realize she'd experienced this change. But her sight within the Nexus told her this was indeed a Ruler-class Avatar. "Oh, right. I do have a different name, Daiyu desu." The lass' words left her mouth and she stretched her leg, down to the floor allowing the Golden Puzzle ball to roll from her lap. Her eyes widened at the sight of it, knowing she'd changed she'd thought it'd be gone too. She reached for it, having it come back to her hand by way of Mana Manipulation. Seeming not to lose much from her previous Avatar's special skills. "I HAVE IT IN EVERY AVATAR!" she mentally exclaimed looking at Kou with wide eyes.

[Bloodedge]

Much as the case was with Kou/Amakusa, Miki's new form didn't seem to even realize a change had occurred. Kou remembered well enough to know why this was the case, or at least have some slight understanding. It was a very 'natural' transition, as far as sensations were concerned. "Well, yeah. It looks─" He had to stop himself from speaking, as well as looking for too long. What he first intended to say, he wouldn't speak into existence consciously. "More like... your normal self as well. Sort of like a fancy vacation or something," he said to cover his original thought.

There was one matter of great importance, which Kou didn't expect the lass to discover so soon. He fully intended to segue into such a topic, but as she was now, she placed herself in a situation to realize... she still had that sphere. Her reaction, albeit sent directly into his mind, reduced him to a state of rubbing his scalp sheepishly. 'Eheh─ yeah. It's not character bound. The signature I attuned it to was the underlying Mana identity shared between Miki and Tatsuki. The identity it connects to, as a result, is Ashikaga Kimiko."

[Apollymi]

"If you cannot argue then there is work to do," Daiyu said with a knowing smile. She looked to Aeronius and Aerona and tilted her head from side to side. "Announce the victory over the demon hoard. Tell the Demi-Humans that you rescind your father's previous ban on them within the walls. Allow them to lay claim to any space unoccupied by Humans so long as they are capable of fixing it. It will go a long way to get money flowing within this place, as well as allowing everyone to settle into the new rule," Daiyu said calmly. "It is all good news so make the announcement together. Cementing your image as properly benevolent rulers is important," she said. Aerona looked at her, and nodded her understanding of this situation. It appeared that one of her first acts would be to undo the injustices presented by her father she began walking towards the front of the palace. Choosing not to make the speech from above as her father would have, but from ground level to help cement her bond with her new people. This wasn't anything Daiyu had mentioned directly, but it was the best choice to make. Good. She was thinking for herself a bit. "Come along, Brother. You were always better at presenting good news." she said as she walked past this new young woman and couldn't help but give her another passing glance.

In the same moment, Daiyu heard the words Kou had to say about her current appearance. Claiming it looked more like her original self, if only on a vacation of some sort. "Hm, that's good. I was thinking before that if I'd known I'd end up here, I might have chosen the look I was more used to. Is it reasonable?" she asked softly. She had no real idea of how much of her changed, but hoped she'd not gone too far unconsciously. At the very least she knew her body proportions weren't completely out of sync, but what she looked like to most others didn't really matter to her. She'd made that clear when speaking to Kaiba, only the lad before her had an opinion she cared about. What was more in their private conversation the lad looking sheepish, explained that the Mana of this item was attuned to the her beneath the surface of Miki and Tatsuki. Meaning, as long as she was herself she could keep her Treasury and access to it, including her ability to fill it. "Sugoi! That was really, thoughtful of you..." she said approaching the lad directly. He'd put so much of himself into this gift, she was only becoming progressively more surprised with everything she learned. Once she was standing in front of him, she flashed him the most sincere smile. She couldn't give him anything equivalent to this thing he'd done for her, she only hoped her gratitude was enough. "Arigatou gozaimasu,"

[Bloodedge]

"Y─yes... of course," spoke the ever timid prince of Eonis. He knew what had to be done, and he understood his position in ensuring that progress was made. With these things in mind, he kept in close proximity to his sister, Aerona. They would make this work; they had to do so for the sake of their kingdom's future.

In the meantime, Kou's gaze continued to shift to and from the Avatar named Daiyu. He had every desire to stare, to gawk even, but he kept himself from doing so. Since she was asking for his opinion on her current look, though, he let himself glance a bit more frequently than he otherwise would have. "Huh─ yeah. The name fits the look as well. It reminds me of that Libra Saint, theme-wise... but it's..." Could he bring himself to admit that he preferred this visage to that of the character in question? No. He did, however, fully believe this to be an improvement over even that bombshell of a fictional entity. It was quite odd for him. Moving on, he was being approached directly with words of thanks from the lass. Kou couldn't even keep himself from shying away just a bit, averting his gaze as he felt the temperature of his face rose significantly. "Ano... it's not that big a deal. I figured there would be more consistency to it, and a bit more use overall... that's all." When he gave this response, he chose to do so aloud. The monarchs were gone, so the lad saw no purpose in continuing a silent discussion. Aside from that, he didn't want to accidentally think something 'at' Daiyu that would incriminate him.