Munetsuchi

[Bloodedge]

The slow life was sounding like a thing worth approaching. Though he did have an interest in the fame, glory and so-on of being a hero, he much rather preferred the idea of just living a life free of normal issues. Shinomiya Kaguya, the girl he was currently in the company of, had a minor reputation for being an easy lay. In another world, he could keep her with him and avoid the gazes and advances of their schoolmates. If he became a hero, he could even be powerful enough to dissuade anyone from doing the same in this world! Yes, it was perfect... but such an awful way of thinking! No, he'd just stick with his romantic interest for good, wholesome reasons! As she took his hand, Kaguya insisted that he not let her hold him back, from being a hero or anything else. In response, the male shook his head. "If you're with me, I don't care about any of that. This is the life I want," he said earnestly. With that, they could be on their way toward the major pagoda, palace, or whatever this world called it.

What they would soon find was not the throne room, but the entryway in which the Emperor Qin currently resided. He'd been sensing a certain demon near the throne by himself, and was en route to making a reclaiming effort. On his way, however, Qin sensed the approach of two foreign entities. These two were not of Munetsuchi; he'd never even felt them before. As such, he turned to face those who encroached upon the palace. The emperor would be the one to intercept and learn their purpose. "More strangers enter this land. We wonder what might be afoot for so many unexpected visits to occur," he mused.

[Apollymi]

A slow life in a peaceful Japanese style country did indeed seem like a good time to someone like Kaguya. Her current companion was the former Student Council President Shirogane Miyuki. The sharp eyed lad was fairly agreeable, if not always a bit tired looking. But she seemed to most enjoy that he wasn't too hung up on any of the rumors about her. In fact, he never even brought them up, not that she would have minded explaining the situation. It was kind of a relief just to hang out with someone and have it not be something of a bunch of weird assumptions as those who took her out on dates tended to do. Of course, they were now in a new and likely magical world and as such they should avoid any real complexities until they knew for certain what was going on. He even always had the perfect things to say in mind... it happened so often that she wasn't particularly skeptical of it anymore, it seemed to be just the way he was all the time. "If you're sure, alright. Let's go find out if this world is death and despair or slow life and happiness," she murmured. She wasn't pleased about it as an idea but she did at least feel a bit safe.

Well, that was the truth until they were stopped in their approach of this palace by someone who looked rather powerful and a bit like a bird. Not the tengu of their first sighting but something else. 'Bird person? Would that be offensive? Wait, what if we start talking to someone and they don't understand us? What if we're accidentally offensive?!' she had mentally jumped a few hurtles, but this man started speaking and she could at least understand the words. Though when he spoke he sounded like one of those super pompous head up his own butt types from the anime, it was at least managable by Kaguya's own standards. "Uh, sorry for the intrusion," she started quickly bowing, ah, that was a sentence spoken by the elafia girl the previous day when her friends had landed here as well. "We don't know about any other strangers, we kind of just ended up here. We aren't from here at all... and we don't mean to offend or anything but we don't really know what kind of place this is, or where we are... or anything like that. We figured we'd ask and find out if we were summoned here on purpose or if it was just an accident and we should figure out how to live on our own," the girl rather quickly explained in the most polite manner she possiblity could. She was used to dealing with authority figures, like parents and teachers, this couldn't really be much different if this wasn't a weird place.

[Bloodedge]

"No need to worry. Even if it's 'death and despair' or whatever, we can find the slow life! I'm sure we can make it happen!" the lad assured as she took his hand. Yes, there was always a way to take the slow and easy path. He was something of an expert at that in life. 'If I can keep Shinomiya, I'll make the slow life work no matter what!' he thought. And so, onward they went... until being stopped by some pompous-looking peacock youkai, or... whatever the hell that man was. Following Kaguya's lead, he bowed in reverence. She took the liberty of speaking, which was for the best; she was always the better speaker anyway.

Qin stared down this pair of youngsters as they lowered themselves. Ah, good. If nothing else, he could accept their approach. "You stand before the Emperor. We accept your prostration as a sign of mental fortitude. You are welcome in Munetsuchi," he said to the one who spoke, though both seemed to earn said acceptance. "You are not the first to fall into this place of late. Yesterday, there were three. Among them was a girl who showed your ability to bow before her superiors. We presume you were not summoned, as the Goddess of Arcane Wisdom has no need of another project as of yet. However... are you of curious mind? This empire is a cornerstone of knowledge and growth. If it is learning you seek, you may follow us into the tenshukaku."

This man spoke so strangely. Still bowed, Miyuki looked toward the girl through the corner of his eye. From the sound of things, there wasn't much expected of them here, if anything at all. Actually... "That sounds like schooling. Proper schooling would be a good way to get jobs. Slow life start?" he whispered.

[Apollymi]

More good words came from Miyuki. He claimed that even if it was death and despair they could find the slow life. His words were so sincere, Kaguya found herself believing in him. "You seem a lot less worried about this than me, you're really reliable, Shirogane-senpai," she mentioned with a small smirk. Perhaps they should just be happy they hadn't seen any giant bugs, she knew she'd be on her own then. Oh well, she'd never reveal his weakness like that, nor throw it in his face. Still, he was really trying for them both and as such she'd do her best as well.

Ah, and her best started with their approach of this apparent Emperor. She wondered briefly if this was a bird filled place, but according to him the others who'd fallen here the previous day were also smart enough to take this same approach. She supposed that meant they didn't have anything to worry about from the government immediately. Though off in a distant green room a girl with antlers sneezed just a little. Apparently, this place was one which lived on wisdom and knowledge. Kaguya relaxed visibly. "Thank you for having us," she said softly, another repeated phrase. Dealing with the third person, multiple self reference types was always pretty strange, but there were definitely more annoying types to deal with. Kaguya had quite a bit of experience dealing with self-importance from both students and parents, she could see them through at least a few meetings before her mind cracked under the pressure of what was taking place here. This Goddess of Arcane Wisdom apparently didn't summon them, but he asked if they were of a curious mind. "I am a pretty curious person. I can only answer that for myself... but I know neither of us really know how this world works yet... so at the very least I'd like to learn that," she said in a flexible sort of way.

"Japanese school kids fell into a school empire... sounds like the best possible outcome if I am being honest," she mentioned. She stood a bit straighter willing to follow this man into the tenshukaku. "Let's find out what school constitutes in this world. And maybe, the other people that fell are like us, and we can get some friends for our journey into slow life," she mentioned, knowing that groups were better for long life in these sorts of scenarios.

[Bloodedge]

Yes, reliable... that's what he was. As long as she believed that, Miyuka was in the clear. He was needed, and thus, he was wanted. None could supplant him in the place he desired. Regardless, the current thing of importance was... the girl, as Qin saw things. She spoke in such a familiar way, his attention was brought to some other features. Her mana was extraordinary for a simple human, and it was even somewhat aligned to his own? Ah, was this the sort of golden opportunity Ailen spoke of? Perhaps it was. She claimed to possess a certain curiosity as well as ignorance of this world. Ah, she must have been one of them as well. How interesting.

"We see. Of the two of you, yours is an energy most appealing. Have you a desire to unravel the arcane secrets? We may see fit to teach you. Our apprenticeship is one that needs filling," he offered. While the teens were approaching, Qin's attention became more fixed on Kaguya specifically. The boy may have possessed some potential as well, but it was not enough to care about. "An apprenticeship? Like an internship? That sounds like a good opportunity," said Miyuki. All the while, Qin was leading the way deeper into the palace. His head was turned slightly, just enough to watched Kaguya through his eye's corner. Something was rather queer about this one ─ and rather... interesting.

[Apollymi]

The reliability of Miyuki not withstanding. Kaguya was soon a point of interest for this bird man. He was watching her, and now that her immediate safety was no longer a factor she'd taken a few cursory glances at him as well. Without much detail, she could say he was an exceedingly attractive man, he was also Emperor so she could assume a certain level of power was associated with him. She wondered the full extent of that, but perhaps that wasn't a good line of questioning to immediately take. What she could do, was hear his current line of words and questions. According to his wording, he found Kaguya more interesting than Miyuki. That could have just been for visual purposes but he claimed her energy was appealing. That was strange, she was very human by her understanding, perhaps this world had a different standard for understanding others. He also claimed to have an open apprenticeship.

"I mean, it would be nice to know important information. I don't know what kind of energy you think I have... I don't know how its measured here or even why mine would be interesting," she explained of herself. "Like is it qi? Or chakra? Or magoi? Or Mana? Is it something innate? Can you sense it at base? Should I learn how to do that?" she rapid fired her own curiosities. "And if this is an apprenticeship, do I need a reference? Are there other apprentices can I talk to them if there are so I can prepare myself properly?" she asked a full line of regular questions for her. Miyuki also seemed interested claiming it was a good opportunity. "It does seem so, but I wouldn't want to make any agreements without being certain of what they'd entail... we're not sure of all the rules yet," she mentioned of her own form of caution. "No offense meant of course, I just wouldn't want to end up disappointing for not understanding the current standard," Kaguya clarified her own stance on the matter with the bird man talking to her.

[Bloodedge]

A certain quality of studiousness was to be expected of a Myouou's apprentice, and this newfound girl was proving herself to have it in spades. In a brief interaction, she behaved much like Ailen's new apprentice... though without the initial reservations against everything bar breathing, Qin thought. He could do a bit of explaining while they walked. Both of those human children seemed curious, though only one voiced any of said curiosities. "These things are all the same. In Common, it is most frequently called mana. Our original empire was the first to call it Qi, representing our own great power. It is innate, yet scarce in the human population. Yes, you can and should learn to perceive it in some way. We can teach you," he explained.

Closer and closer they drew to the throne room. In Qin's mind, he had a stroke of good fortune in acquiring a potential apprentice. She had all the signs Myouou were advised to look for in first meetings, and quickly showed her capacity for more beyond that. "Apprenticeships began only yesterday. That girl initiated the process, and is currently learning from one of the Go Myouou. Each Myouou is expected to claim one apprentice who shall inherit all of our knowledge and ability. You stand capable of becoming the Emperor's legacy. The learning is assured; disappointment is impossible," Qin continued. Miyuki listened intently. It didn't seem he had any sort of offer on the proverbial table, but Kaguya receiving it within minutes of their arrival was a boon. Being the better student among them, she could surely do some heavy lifting toward their desired 'slow life' together! "That actually sounds incredible. Think about it! Learning under an emperor has to be safe, right? You'd have, like, diplomatic immunity and all sorts of ancient secrets. And it sounds like there are still three openings after that, so maybe I can apprentice for one of them! We could be set!"

[Apollymi]

Kaguya's inquisitiveness would lead to a few answers about the state of this world. Apparently, a language spoken here was common, and in that language all the things she listed as types of magic systems were acknowledged as one and the same. Mana was the general term and 'Qi' was once used in this empire for this man's greatness. While they were sure this wasn't earth, if it was based on it, then the calling of 'qi' along with the pompous nature of this emperor brought a strange bit of trivia to the forefront of her mind. Mostly during which she saw her skittish student council president gushing over a historical figure. "Sou ka, I'll do my best to learn. If you could give me some hint of what to do, I definitely want to do that. Is there a standard way of sensing or is it a personal use thing, like for comfort... wait before that, it was named 'qi' after you and you're the Emperor. Does that mean you're Qin Shi Huang?" she asked seemingly curious about the context of this world and this bird man in general.

Beyond that point as they walked, there were several facts about apprentices. Apparently, such things only started the day before with one girl who was already learning from one of the Go Myouou. That presumably meant five wisdom kings. That was interesting to note. If there was only one other person currently and it was a girl, it could potentially grow to be a tight-knit group. The stakes were seeming pretty reasonable now. And what was more, he claimed there could be no disappointment, they would teach and the apprentice could learn. "I see. It does sound pretty promising, and that's very reassuring. I probably couldn't forgive myself if I was a bad student at all." Heairng Miyuki's words she could only agree. "It does seem pretty safe. Though there is an implication that there are more teachers, I should probably make sure I am actually a good fit and figure out the basics before I make any rash decisions. If you could also settle into whatever you want to do that would be good," she mentioned. She knew this lad wasn't as for the learning aspects of things as she and a few of their classmates were. But she figured he could be happy as an adventurer or even as a specific kind of student if such an apprenticeship was open. She was also quite serious about not holding him back at all if there was something else he found more interesting. School life wasn't for everyone after all.

[Bloodedge]

"A hint?" the emperor questioned. There would be no hints given to one chosen as she was. Alas, the details of that would come later. First, the girl had more questions, starting with details about mana sensory... though she quickly shifted to questioning his existence instead. "We are Zheng, Shi Huang Di. And yes, one's ability to perceive mana may be any preferred method depending on one's senses. There is little more to it," he said.

By the moment, it seemed this girl was getting closer to becoming an apprentice. Her talk of confirming how well she fit, however, was foolishness just as her earlier mention of a 'hint' was. Now was the time he addressed that matter. "You have the honor of being chosen by a Myouou, and much more, the emperor himself. To question your worth under the circumstance is sheer folly, and a great offense that we will forgive only this once. If you will reject the position, do so because you lack interest in learning the truth," the emperor said, seeming to deliver those words as an order. This girl would decide whether she accepted or denied apprenticeship, and that would be the end of it. In Miyuki's opinion, there wasn't much chance for a better option. "That's a little brash. Uh... no offense, of course, Qin Shi... what? Anyway, Shinomiya, you should go for it! It's not like you can't back out whenever you want, right? Plus I'll be there to support you if that's the case," he spoke. All the while, Qin was glaring at the boy. The more that one spoke, the less interesting he became. Or... did it simply make the girl more appealing by osmosis? Time would tell as they all stood just beyond the throne room.

[Apollymi]

Apparently there were no hints to be given. Instead Kaguya was given a lot of information. He was indeed Qin Shi Huang and mana sensory abilities were apparently the type of thing that should be chosen by one's own sensory affinity. It was interesting to know, though apparently there was something more to it. "Sou ka! That's really great. I have a friend that loves you!" she mentioned seeming to find it interesting that such a thing was happenstance. She imagined if she'd been pulled here with Iino Miko instead of Shirogane Miyuki, she'd be squealing like a fan girl over her favorite emperor.

Beyond this point, apparently being chosen by any of the five was a great honor. If she turned it down, it was to be her own decision but to not believe in herself was folly on her part. Interesting. She looked at this bird man and found his presence a bit comforting. "Hm, you give off tiger-dad energy but I get what you're saying..." she mentioned. Her own father never paid so much attention to what she did nor did he ever state having anything resembling belief in her. It was quite nice to have someone else on her side at a time like this. Miyuki seemed to be much the same, encouraging her to take such a position because of both the safety and the inborn bonuses. He had something to say to Kaguya and the girl herself didn't miss the look he was given by this bird man. She wondered if this man had taken a sort of instant dislike to the boy for some reason. It seemed to be the case whenever he spoke. Perhaps he was just annoyed by his misused name. "Qin Shi Huang. You really didn't listen to Iino-chan very much when she talked did you? She gushes over this guy. Modeled her entire middle school tyranny of disciplinary committee oppression after his reign..." she mentioned seeming to find it funny to think about the problem of her friend in middle school. "Anyway, I was also giving it girl levels of consideration. It's a bit difficult to explain but I also had to think about all the potential negatives... still, I don't think it's a bad idea. And I'd like to know the truth if I am being honest. It's so mysterious it's almost too interesting to pull away from. So, I'll be your apprentice, thanks for having me." she said bowing once more. She was after all, still a very polite school girl, regardless of her current state of dress. Perhaps a new outfit would be among the first things she took care of. Surely this world couldn't have full video game logic and they could eventually approach the throne room and maybe eventually meet this goddess, that also seemed pretty interesting.

[Bloodedge]

The fact that this girl knew of him was no surprise to Qin. Her having some friend that loved him was equally unsurprising. He was the first emperor, he who paved the way for others who used that same title. Iino-chan, though... he knew that name. Ah yes, Solomon had referred to Anais by such a name. That same girl reacted incredibly to his name. Given her intelligence, ability and so-on, Qin figured the name Iino must have been a noble one where they came from. Perhaps this new girl was a comrade or... no, it had to be at least that. Her use of honorific implied equality at minimum. She must have been nobility as well.

As for her allegations of 'tiger dad' energy, Qin's opinion seemed to differ. His eyes narrowed, but he moved on nonetheless. Now wasn't the time to open that can of worms. The emperor was far more interested in this 'middle school' and 'disciplinary committee' thing Kaguya spoke of, alongside this Iino's tyrannical rule of it. Oh, he'd be paying her one hell of a visit later; the excitement showed via a light glimmer in his eye. This one accepted his apprenticeship as well, causing the further development of that glimmer into an outright sparkle. Yes! He had one already! Of course an emperor such as he would have an apprentice thrown at him by fate itself! "Then we will pass through the throne room, where another Myouou resides. The goddess will be called as your lessons begin. As for the boy..."

Qin had something to say about Miyuki's presence, and his notions of apprenticing under the Myouou as well. Alas, they had already passed the threshold into the throne room. There, above the group at the throne itself, was the devil wielding an aura even humans might register. Actually... these two humans especially would discover an ability to sense him, just as he immediately registered what they were. This girl was the one brought here by his efforts. The boy seemed to be dragged along by proxy somehow, but oh well; spells that traveled between worlds were hard to manage. Either way, Mugen sat with his right leg crossed over his left, his chin resting atop one fist, and those glowing garnet eyes scanning the form of a girl who bore the same irises. "Ho. Zheng-chin has an apprentice too, does he? What an interesting development~" he said, seeming oddly satisfied by a great many things. This man expressed a confidence, a surety that dwarfed even Qin's outright arrogance in magnitude. "And an interesting girl. Come here," he said specifically to Kaguya.

[Apollymi]

Zheng seemed to be having some pretty good reactions overall. Kaguya found his narrowed eyes sort of easy to read as when he seemed to have problems such a thing happened. It was also a bit like glaring which was attractive in a strange way. What was also easy to read was his happy expression. Apparently, disciplinary committees and middle school hijinks would keep them man entertained as stories. That was good, it'd get a bit boring if they had nothing to talk about. He went on to explain how learning in such a situation would begin to work. They'd move through this throne room where another member of this mysterious wisdom king. Ah... but it wasn't just that, his reference to Miyuki still didn't seem to pleasant. 'Hm, we might end up having to split for a while. He really doesn't like Shirogane-senpai very much,' she mused. Ah... welll that didn't matter anyway.

They crossed the threshold into the throne room and when they did garnet colored eyes seemed to be set upon her. She looked up and saw them glaring down at her and her heart skipped a beat. Actually, she felt strangely oppressed and invited by this man's presence. She didn't think she could or should be feeling anything... but she could definitely feel him. And now she was looking at him and couldn't take her eyes off him. 'Hot. He's hot. Super hot. Bad boy steals lives souls and panties hot! Who made a man this hot?!' Yes, well the wandering fancy of a teen girl's mind was something else entirely. In truth, this man was beyond the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen. Which was interesting considering Qin Shi Huang had been speaking to her and also registered to her as out of this world good looking. Or maybe it was just out of her previous world good looking. She'd been dating one of the most popular guys in school and he was... homely while standing in the same room as this pair of individuals. It was demanded that she stepped forward but it would be a few seconds before she did. The girl in all her haste and acknowledgement of this man glaring at her, found herself nervously making an introduction. "Shinomiya Kaguya desu, yoroshiku,"

[Bloodedge]

Obviously, Mugen wished to inspect the apprentice Qin took under his wing. That much was to be expected, as the demon would have things to teach her as well eventually. Besides, Mugen's input was second only to Miwa's in terms of acceptance. Qin didn't particularly like that, but he also couldn't argue with the goddess herself in that belief. Sadly, Mugen had no such reason. He knew who this girl was, not as a person, but as an existence. Fate had nothing to do with her appearance unless Mugen, himself, was synonymous with destiny. Whatever the case, he noted Kaguya's hesitation in approaching him. He also took note of her mental state before doing so. The demon's lips curled into a small grin for reasons unexplained as a result of both.

Soon enough, Kaguya did approach the throne. Miyuki stood behind, reaching out as the girl walked. Did he intend to stop her? Well, he couldn't have done anything by trying; even the boy himself could tell that. During the approach, Mugen held the girl under maximum scrutiny... though he wasn't specifically watching her face. His eyes were quite mobile. At times, he saw her face. At times, he seemed to look through her on a spiritual level. At times, he was unabashedly taking in her physical form. In the wake of her skittish introduction, Mugen chuckled. "Kuhuhu~. Shinomiya Kaguya, is it? Good name. Tohsaka Mugen," he replied, simultaneously beckoning the girl even closer with a single finger. "Zheng-chin chose you as his apprentice. That's ironic. He couldn't handle the full breadth of your soul. This is going to be your one chance to make the right choice," the demon instructed. She wouldn't be leaving this meeting as Qin's apprentice; he didn't use that spell just to waste the perfect host of his own power.

[Apollymi]

Kaguya didn't know if she was seeking approval. Right at the moment, she was feeling oddly in this man's presence. Mana sense wasn't something human's naturally came with according to Zheng, but... it would seem she had a bit of it in this very particular case. She'd taken those steps forward to introduce herself and had barely registered the lad with her as something to be concerned about it. Why did it matter if she introduced herself to this man, when he was practically throwing her at the other one? Well, she didn't really have time for that. She'd made her introduction and it'd been taken favorably. She'd been introduced to a man called Tohsaka Mugen and though his name wasn't recognizable in a historical or mythological context, it seemed to resonate well with her mind and soul. "Hai," she answered to the idea that the bird man had chosen her as his apprentice.

Ah, but according to Mugen who beckoned her further forward with just a finger, that man couldn't handle the breadth of her soul. Well, this man on the throne looked like he was willing to handle her mind, body and soul. She could practically feel his gaze on her skin, and it made her partly self-conscious but also partly at home. It was a strange thing to realize. She'd always been considered attractive, even before, and though boys often looked at her, she'd noticed more lecherous intents in their looks as they'd gotten older. They were easily ignored as she wasn't the sort to just engage with anyone but... something about this felt markedly different. She took more steps forward explaining herself as she did, with the normal amount of respect she gave to adults. "Gommenasai, Zheng-sama. I don't fully register this sensation yet, but I'm pretty sure Mugen-sama feels like home. If it's a choice like that, I'll thank you for the opportunity instead..." she gave her reasoning for changing her mind. Ah, she wasn't fully aware that she'd be coming back around to Zheng sometime in the future for her other lessons. That being said, she felt in her soul that this man was the right choice to be one she connected herself to. She wasn't sure why she felt that way, but she was very certain. 'Getting a hot teacher my first day in a magical world sounds like a dream. I wish Iino-chan was here... she'd understand why this is cool,' she thought absently. "Mugen-sama does that mean you're the right choice? I feel like you are... but I feel like there is a lot I don't fully know yet," she asserted. Both her curiosity and the mystery surrounding this new world were culminating in a strange bit of confusion. But it didn't feel wrong, so she had few hang-ups about moving forward. Still, being in the company of a hot guy could be dangerous... but given how hot this one was it wasn't like she foresaw herself rejecting his advances. Maybe she should take the time to clean break with Shirogane-senpai, it wasn't like he was interested in learning in the same way. He could go be a hero or whatever it was he wanted to do, a clean break and new start for both of them really.

[Bloodedge]

Mugen could feel the descent of this girl already. She took to the darkness of the Void with such ease to have come here in an unaltered form after that spell, and the message her heart delivered was perfectly in-line with his intentions. However, the decision to change mentors was one Qin did not appreciate very much at all. "You would step into our realm again, to corrupt our apprentice now? We will not stand for another slight," he emperor said. Purple and cyan became abundant colors within the throne room as the tailfeathers of a phoenix extended from beneath Qin's robes. They hastily bypassed Miyuki, then Kaguya en route to the demon, ensnaring him wholly. "You will bend this time, demon," Qin declared.

Oddly, Mugen never took his eyes away from Kaguya. No, he wouldn't; she was the thing of interest here. "I was the right choice long ago. You will learn from five, but what you become will start and end with me," he said, casually upholding a conversation even as Qin's restraints tightened around his body. The poor bird should have known this would happen, yet still he tried to enforce himself. "You have a pension for darkness, don't you? You'll take to Forbidden Knowledge well, I think. Though... everything you've ever known, or thought you knew, is going to change. One chance. You're free to ask for additional information all you like," he said, giving ample opportunity for whatever clarity she may desire. Meanwhile, Miyuki found himself mentally siding with Qin. Something about that other man didn't seem right. He seemed... dangerous, not simply to Kaguya, but to Miyuki's ideals as well. Hearing him talk of darkness and Forbidden Knowledge wasn't helping. "This all sounds like a lot for students..." the boy mumbled. Much like Qin, however, Miyuki was completely ignored by the demon.