Shibuya

[Bloodedge]

"No one, huh?" he questioned rhetorically. He knew this to be false information, but they clearly didn't know about the other person he knew to have been returned here at the same time as him. There was no other way; he'd seen her disappearing while he felt himself doing the same. Ashikaga Kimiko was here... but none would have reason to suspect her as a player of that game. Anyone searching for Geno Killer would have suspected him to be involved with any sort of gameplay. Regardless, he wouldn't dare incriminate her at this point. "So you want... or rather, you need someone from here, who's been touched by the other side?"

His every question was leading, all for the sake of understanding why this odd group sought him in particular. Surely this Archbishop in question had made some prior attempt to create the gateway. Speaking of attempts, though, it was believed that he had no abilities from the other world simply because he hadn't been trying. That made sense. If he could retain any amount of his skills though, he would become something quite ridiculous. "You want me involved in what's obviously a combat tournament. I've got other shit to do. You realize I'm a high school student shuffling between part-time jobs, right?"

[Apollymi]

A nod came from this lass, it was obvious that she didn't know about the possibility of anyone appearing. What he went on to say were about what she expected of his current brain output. They did indeed need someone who had done both things, one or the other wouldn't be enough. Time and time again such things had been tried and they'd never gotten close enough to get anyone back where they came from. Perhaps what was missing was the touch of crossing both ways, perhaps that would let the proper wish be made. "Yes. That is the hope. Someone who has gone both directions is capable in a way those of us who can only go one are not. It is thought they'll be able to make the right wish. And currently they are betting on you..." she said with a fairly lax attitude. If this boy could do what they wanted she could return her life the way it was meant to be. Not this fake version of her world but the real one she remembered in her dreams.

"Combat is a means to an end. We can all use our powers during those time periods. We are trying to right the wrong of the world... restore it. If that wording makes more sense to you." she offered watching. It was unclear looking at this lad where his mind was leaning. "And we know of your situation, if you participated in the competitions you'd be awarded prizes... if you won at least. You'd actually have to be capable of harnessing some power though to guarantee that sort of thing," she stated. She wasn't allowed to speak of money in any direct way as it referred to this world. But they were at least preparing to keep everyone who was involved satisfied in someway, and if this was all it took to guarantee this lad's participation then she had no reason to keep the information from him.

[Bloodedge]

Hope. What a stupid, stupid word. The problems of this situation were piling up in Yugi's mind as he learned new information, and he already knew all he needed to determine his answer in the end. "Still dumb. You guys would suck at gacha games," he proclaimed. Sliding his way out of the chair, he took a single step away. They had already made it clear there would be no shooting in actuality, and he didn't have reason to believe the Archbishop's ire was something worth being concerned about just yet. "You don't have any reason to believe a person like me would be the answer to your problems, and you haven't even tried enough methods to solve it otherwise. Besides that, I didn't once hear you say anything to make me think you considered any other explanations for the situation. Why would the world be wrong? I went one way, and came back another. What you're talking about is time travel. I can tell you several reasons time travel isn't the case here, and every one of those reasons just adds to the reasons why I'm not doing shit for you people. It pisses me off when people don't even think their way through something that could be way simpler if they did."

As he spoke, there was the strangest occurrence. Unbeknownst to him, there was a brief shift in his dark brown eyes─ a temporary change to the color red. He'd had enough. There was, however, one other thing of importance to be addressed here; he had an interest in meeting one person. "Oi, hacker! You're obviously the only one being proactive about anything, so do me a favor and step out where I can see you," he said. There were words to be shared with the hacker, and he was done speaking through technology in that oh-so creepy way. Given how the hacker had been in touch with him thus far, he assumed this very room was bugged as well.

Meanwhile, the police holding Ashikaga Kimiko in custody finally made their way to the station. An interrogation room had already been arranged, and the officer named Satoru stood next to the table while they awaited the interrogator, and apparently Kimiko's lawyer. "Anything while you wait, ma'am? Coffee? Tea?" the man asked. Sure, he would be losing his job by the end of this ordeal, but he was resolved enough that such a thing wouldn't stop him from doing it. Besides, he understood this to be an inconvenience that he wouldn't have forced on anyone without proper reason.

[Apollymi]

"Gacha...games?" this word was unfamiliar to this purple haired lass but the other person who was indeed still monitoring this situation found herself coughing immediately. She felt like that statement attacked her. Still this meeting seemed to have reached a falling out. By the words of this lad, he had no intention of helping them at all. This was fine, they didn't expect much though apparently the higher ups had higher hopes. "Suit yourself, you might not end up with us... but you'll definitely end up there. If those eyes are any indication. The world is wrong..." she said in reference to the random color shift in his eyes, obviously he was in the other world at some point. She had no reason to assume the existence of two different places. And time travel? What could that possibly be about, all of this was well above her interest levels and paygrade. At the very least she might get to fight him later... as such it might be worthwhile in that case. She wasn't the type to chase beyond her orders and she'd already done what was necessary. No one could say she hadn't put in more basic effort than normal. "Go then. I don't really care."

The boy's upset words reached their spy in question and she though scared slipped out from a side door with a bag slung over her shoulder. She had on a plain black fluffy hoodie and a black pleated miniskirt beneath but that was about all one could tell of her outward appearance. Atop her head a messy ponytail in a fiery red color and golden orange eyes. "You really didn't have to say that like that you know. I did apologize after all. This isn't my normal kind of gig..." she explained her two fingers touching each other. She was abjectly curious about what he said about gacha games she'd gotten lots of advice about them but her own luck was absolutely abysmal. She could use another opinion on that matter, though the lad before her seemed like he might be a little too cranky to give that sort of information freely.

In the meantime, Ashikaga Kimiko found herself sitting in a chair in an obvious interrogation room. It was a bit disturbing. How did they expect people to be comfortable enough to talk to them in a place like this? The girl crossed her legs at the knees and sat back with perfect posture. How long would she have to wait? Did these people realize the kind of space they were putting between her and her goals. She would have been fuming, if she had all the information she needed already. Still this young officer who feared for his job was once again showing he was the only person she'd come in contact with since her return who was even remotely reasonable. He offered her a choice of coffee and tea. How strange. She'd already mentioned she wouldn't be answering any questions and as such she only smiled again. His resolve to treat her decently even after she gave him the option not to, needed to be rewarded. Even so she'd remind him of this option he kept refusing to take. "Gojo-san... the questions~" she teased just a tad. Perhaps that part of her was a bit more obvious than she'd originally given it credit for. Still she wasn't one to let a bit of good will go to waste. "Gomen, I am only teasing. I'll take a bottle of water if you have it." How easily she fell back into old habits. She had to watch her figure for now, no overindulgences. And after her mind began to drift again, how to find the Geno Killer? Would it be fruitful enough to search for him online? Did she need some idea of what his face looked like? What did she know about him that should make him easier to find? All these questions passed over her mind and she began working through each of them as their own trees of thought figuring out the amount of time and resources that would be required to see one from the beginning to the end.

[Bloodedge]

"Stay away from them. A gambling addiction wouldn't suit you," was all Yugi had to share with the purple-haired woman. According to her, he was going to end up involved in this 'competition' whether he did so with them or not. She mentioned his eyes, which was something worth thinking over. No matter; her earlier statement gave him all the confirmation he needed when addressing the hacker.

He was right; the hacker was listening, and she was close as well. She emerged in all the shady attire he would expect from an organization like this, but that didn't really matter. "I don't really care," he said about her apology, and about how this wasn't her normal type of 'gig' so to speak. "I didn't call you out to bitch at you or anything. Your work's really good for you to be able to hack my shit, but... a warning." Yes, there was something irksome about this entire scenario. Mostly, he had a problem with the fact that there was a competition, and an entire group sought to recruit him. What had been so recently said by the purple-haired girl was the final nail in the coffin to a theory he'd been holding since earlier in the conversation. "Wipe everything. If it's not too late, wipe all the evidence you have on me as well. That one's partially for personal reasons, but besides that... I'm sure the other groups like yours are going to come looking for me too. Who knows, I might change my mind about this whole thing later, but I've got more important things to do right now."

Kimiko was certainly a difficult one to deal with for Satoru. After his offer of something to drink, she once again reminded him that she would be answering no questions without a lawyer. He sighed, assuming he would not even be allowed to ask questions which provided her some amount of comfort during this ordeal. Ah, but it was apparently mere teasing. Maybe he wasn't cut out for this cop business anyway. Whatever the case, he sighed again before nodding. Off he went afterwards to retrieve a bottle of water.

Alas, Isao would not be the one returning. Instead, Kimiko was visited by a male with an average build, naturally white mid-length hair with no particular style to it. Though quite handsome, there were no notable features on his face, nor any particular shine to his golden eyes. He could be described as the epitome of the color white, wearing a white suit which went down to his ankles and perfectly matched his hair, underneath which, he wore a long-sleeved blue shirt that matched the color of his earring, of which only the scuffs were visible. The suit itself was white on the outside and black on the inside, with the suit's ten buttons, edging, cuffs and minor details on the inside and outside being gold in color. Matching his hair and his suit, the trousers and shoes worn by him were also white. Perhaps the most striking detail of his suit was the opulent high-neck collar, which had an intricate, black and gold design, with the most noticeable feature of it being a large gold collar clip resembling the infinity sign. He took a seat at the table, just across from Kimiko, and gazed endlessly into her face. "Konnichiwa... Ashikaga Kimiko," he greeted. "I thought I would have to find some alone time with you by force. Are you already tired of being back in this world, after being in the other for so long?"

Strangely, this man spoke without worry of being heard. There should have been cameras and audio surveillance in this interrogation room, but one would note that they had been... somehow, rather suddenly destroyed before he set foot in the room. As if he had no awareness of this destruction whatsoever, he sat before Kimiko, even mimicking the way she sat by crossing his right leg over his left knee, keeping his hands clasped in his lap with an unassuming smile on his face.

[Apollymi]

Aiba Yugi's request of the orange haired girl was a strange one. Meanwhile the purple haired girl thought over gambling and then rather astutely let herself fall into a very relaxed position. She didn't really care what else went on here. The girl with her orange eyes found herself looking at the lad with random curiosity. He claimed she should get rid of all the information she had on him, not as a favor to him but because it connected her to him. Along with everything about this organization. Strange for him to care what happened to someone else so randomly still there wasn't anything really to worry about. "Hm, this isn't my first rodeo or anything... I always get rid of that stuff. Hell I build computers and gear specifically for jobs from scratch and incinerate them afterwards. No harm no foul... I won't keep anything related to this, it will get rid of my plausible deniability. No worries," she said very easily. There was an extreme amount of truth in her words. Though she didn't like these strange jobs she took all the time, she was at the very least supremely conscientious in her work. With that the girl would go on to slip out of the door with only a casual wave over her shoulder. She was quite done here already and needed to get to the cleanup stage of her work so she could get back to spending her money.

After teasing that poor police officer the man left her presence. Kimiko managed to keep that same pleasant mask up for the next few moments until a white haired white clothed man made his way into her interrogation room. She stared at him with slight questions furrowing her brow. A hint of excitement in her soul as she thought he might have been the man she sought. He called her by name and took a seat across from her, making mention of her time in the other world but... something about that was wrong. 'I thought it might have been him... but everything about him leads me to believe that he's not rich here. Or at the very least he doesn't like it as an idea. No reason to assume he'd show up before me, dressed like that, when he claimed he wanted to be found either.' Her mind eliminated the idea that the famed Geno Killer would break into a police station just to see her. Especially in the case of being here. What was more, knowing it wasn't the Geno Killer she was looking for meant some other strange man had decided to speak to her instead. This man at the very least wasn't a police officer. That she knew, no police came looking that restful and well put together. They wore the stress of their jobs like badges on their faces and clothes. A level of unkempt was obvious even in the youngest of officers. She looked more at this man's clothing as he sat across from her in the same position she kept and noted the infinity like symbol around his neck. Those eyes of hers narrowed slightly and she began speaking aloud for the first time in several moments. "Do you work for my father? You're dressed a bit like you do. My statements about not answering questions stays and I'll feign ignorance about what you're talking about, unless you are here to get me out of this annoying situation."

[Bloodedge]

The good news was that this new girl already intended to remove all evidence of this exchange. The bad news, of course, was that she hadn't done it already. This may not have been her first excursion into shady activity like this, but he doubted she previously had anything to do with world-crossing, or the types that were sure to be born of such an event. Perhaps she had at least dealt with matters surrounding someone like him in this world, but that didn't matter presently. All Yugi could do now, was hope she properly addressed matters that needed tending to. "That's cool and all, but I wonder what that means for the other organizations having people just like you... ones that would have been looking for me the same time you were. Maybe it'll work out though, right?" he asked, seeming quite sarcastic. Whatever the case, he was done with this strange cult, and content to make his way home again.

The question of the white-haired man was not given an answer. Instead, Kimiko offered a question of her own. Did he work for her father? Not at all; he had no clue who the man was. The internal musings of Kimiko were an unimportant mystery, but there was one fact that mattered. In a way, he was here to get her out of this annoying situation, though not at all for the reason she would have wanted. "Feign ignorance if you like. You can't lie to me; I know you were there. I'm sure you remember me," he said, offering his right hand to the girl. "Come. We have a war to enter. When we're done, you can finally become my wife. Or before, if that suits you~" Regardless of his words, he had a simple intention when offering his hand. If Kimiko took it, she would find herself sitting at a very different table─ a dining table to be precise, in a candle-lit room that seemed to belong in a European mansion. Of course, the white-haired male would still be in front of her... and so would be a rather magnificent turkey dinner.

[Apollymi]

"Eh, too much pessimism in you..." she mumbled as she left. His sarcasm was noted. She could at least feel good that she'd tried at least, and that was much more than could be said of another young woman.

A scoff came from Kimiko as she was content not to move. This man's hand extended over the table and her hands remained clasped in her lap. Whether he was here to help her or not, she didn't like the casual phrasing of his statements. Beyond that she had no intention of taking this man's hand without being certain he was the man she was looking for. She wouldn't be the type of person who gave off the wrong vibes and beyond all of that there was only one man's hand she wanted to take, regardless of the faces he wore. This man... he didn't feel like those did and his attitude also didn't suit her current desires. "So, I am not taking your hand. I very honestly have no memory of you or anyone like you. I have no intention of joining a war nor being your wife. Those things are especially true, when I have no idea who you are, or what is being fought over, and most importantly what the benefit is to me doing so...." she said swiftly. Kimiko was nothing if not a negotiator on her own behalf. There was no way she was going to put herself in a strange position and at the mercy of a man she didn't know outside of the watchful eyes of others. Beyond all of that, if he wasn't her resident Geno Killer she had no intention of helping him in whatever his goals were, she wanted to find that young man and continue on her budding relationship. That didn't involve a random marriage to a man who claimed they'd do so. Especially not with someone who didn't believe in her choice in this matter.

[Bloodedge]

This girl claimed to have no memory of him, but that couldn't be true. He had every memory of her, and knowledge of her multiple faces. He claimed long ago that she would be his wife, and though she had never confirmed such a thing, he would have what he desired. "And why would you not? You joined the previous war, before we were brought to this pitiful version of the world. Between you and that boy... Yes, one of you must be Pride. I have decided that it is you, which is why you will be one of my wives. Who, but you, could say such a thing to the Archbishop representing Greed?" This man seemed to be initiating a bit of a rant, which had no foreseeable end to it. "I, Regulus Corneas, declare that you will be the best of them! There may be 78 others, but that doesn't matter. The love of Pride will outshine theirs! Now, stop toying around. We will return to the world we belong in, where the rest are. Once we gain the Holy Grail, we can raise a bridge to take us there... even if we have to tear this world apart to make it!" Well, he certainly seemed confident when making these proclamations. In fact, he truly believed there was no future other than what he stated.

[Apollymi]

This man before her seemed to have memories of her she didn't have of him. Interesting. She ingested enough science fiction as media to come to a general conclusion in that moment. Obviously they were from different points in the world's history. His words though were at least worth taking in and pulling apart between herself and that boy? Someone he saw as being equivalent enough to her for them to possibly have the same title. Yes... this was all the confirmation she needed that this man wasn't the one she was looking for. Moreover his little rant was full of things she could reduce even further down to useful information. He called himself an Archbishop of Sin and associated himself with Greed. This definitely wasn't something she could attribute to any of the Geno Killer's faces, though Pride seemed more likely she also knew the lad to possess something else at a much higher ratio, not that it mattered.

About herself she had but a few things to say, "Pride? That doesn't sound right about me... you must not know me at all." she said still sitting with those hands clasped together in her lap. "Though, admittedly nothing you've said in the last few moments makes much sense to me," she commented with nothing but that same serene mask of a smile upon her face. "First, even if I was the top, no girl wants to be in competition with 78 other women. If I am not someone's only choice I definitely have no desire to be just their top option... I have higher standards than that," She concluded easily the idea of destroying one world to get to the other also didn't sit right with her. "Second, if I did participate in a Holy Grail War, I wouldn't destroy anything. I have fond memories of this world and fond ones in that one. I'll have both worlds not one or the other. Your thinking is way too small for me. I'll get myself out of this..." she mentioned never once removing her eyes from this person. Her tone had been clear, concise and to the point though admittedly a tiny bit dismissive. She had no intention of getting involved. She had more important and better things to do. She didn't know what he expected, but she would definitely not be helping him destroy anything. Beyond all of that she had no intention of being involved in the destruction of her home world. Though she fully intended to return to the other one at her earliest convenience, those plans included a certain male individual she was in the process of tracking down.

[Bloodedge]

Pride didn't sound right, she said. He'd seen otherwise. This girl stood at the top of the world... a world of her own creation, in a way. Oh, but it seemed he was quite wrong in what that meant. Her refusal to acknowledge being one of many, her claim that his thinking was too small for her, her desire to have both worlds instead of sacrificing one for another─ they were such obvious signs. How could he have been so blind? He could see it so clearly in her face now, and hear it so loudly in her words. "You are..."

Though he thought himself otherwise, Regulus was among the greediest of people. To hear someone exemplify a greater greed than his own, he could hardly contain himself. His eyes were wide, and his grin wider. In his mind, he knew exactly what she was. Regulus rose from his chair, slamming his hands onto the table as he leaned over it excitedly. "Greed! All this time, and I never knew it was you! You are the Witch of Greed! I've got it all wrong; you're the one I should be following! How you wound up here is beyond me, but I am your servant, my Ruler!~ You want both worlds, yes? I, Regulus Corneas, will make it happen in your great name!"

[Apollymi]

This man took on a way too excited face looking at her. Had she just talked herself into a problem? There was skepticism in those eyes of hers and they moved on to being shocked and confused. The man in front of her, Regulus as he was calling himself, claimed that he was a worshipper of hers. He referred to himself as her servant. This was very strange, but it was obvious at this point that the man before her came from the other world and was familiar at least with some of her exploits, whether she'd completed them yet or not was an entirely different matter. "Uh-huh, I am not at all used to these sorts of mood swings, but if it means you'll do as I say and stop claiming you're going to marry me, it works in my favor," she said still seeming to be rather aloof about the whole of the situation. There was still the matter of this police station to deal with and the matter concerning both worlds, but her primary focus was locating the Geno Killer and nothing would get between her and that focus. "I am not the type of person to make others do things for me. I definitely don't want my name associated with an action I haven't yet fully sanctioned. If I am going to have both worlds I'll do it on my own terms and if I find use for you during that, I'll let you know. Regardless, before I even think about all of that... there is something I desire and it has nothing to do with you or your Holy Grail War. And I'll have it first and everything else is an afterthought," she said very firmly. She had no desire to be part of any other world shenanigans until she found the lad she considered her partner and settled up. Her own desires couldn't be denied by her and she'd have it this way or no way.

Making the general assumption that this man would be fine with the sort of terms she laid down she had but one more thing to say. "So, is there a specific way I contact you or is this one and done sort of thing?" she asked of the meeting. It was a surprisingly long amount of time between now and the officer leaving to get her water, and she had no intention of trying to explain this man's presence. Though given the amount of silence around them she could assume he had some left over power from the other world. Hell she was pretty sure he'd destroyed or stopped the cameras given that no one had barged in yet.

[Bloodedge]

Regulus would of course do as the 'Witch' said for the time being, but would he cease claiming they would be wed? Of course he wouldn't! He could see their wedding day as a clear and certain future, but it was of little to no importance at this very moment. His excitement grew nonetheless. This girl spoke of claiming both worlds on her own terms, and that was yet another level of greed he could only appreciate in the end. Her desire, as well, was for something very specific, yet unmentioned. Either way, the fact that she put her own desires first and foremost was exhilarating to one such as Regulus. No other could call themselves more worthy to be his wife, just as only he had enough greed to call himself the husband of this Witch! "Of course! Your desire is my desire! If I see your Greed fulfilled, then I am victorious!" he chanted.

It seemed Kimiko thought this may have been a temporary ordeal, his... 'alliance' with her. There was no such thing. How she even reached such a potential conclusion was beyond him, but as it was a question, he saw fit to answer accordingly. "Your Authority calls to me. Whether you understand or not, now that I know, I can feel it," he explained while grasping the air, as if holding something tangible in his hand. "You can reach me with Greed alone, or... call for me. So long as we have a connection, I will feel your summons... and answer immediately~"

[Apollymi]

"Uh-huh..." Kimiko muttered aloud. She still hadn't moved, her visage held that practiced smile but she was mostly just trying to get rid of this man. His words about her Greed being satisfied being a victory for him was one she couldn't believe. Mostly because she was fairly certain that if he understood what or rather who it was she wanted, he likely wouldn't be okay it. That was at least as assumable as her own desire to be someone's only choice. In fact, she couldn't imagine anyone properly told this man no, and didn't really want to find out what would happen if he actually felt like his outlandish notions were being challenged. Life and gaming experiences told her the outcome wouldn't be pretty. 'Hm, I really can't deal with this man until I am sure of my own powers here. To be honest this level of fanaticism makes me want to kill him... I feel like I'll end up doing so for my own safety at some point in the future,' she thought as absently as she'd thought about quitting GTA Online after being annoyed by another individual who thought they were suited to making claims for her time and attention. But the plan for now was non-binding placation and distance. And that would work, for a time at least.

Though the man before her gave her very creepy vibes, he was at least rather free with information. Whatever this Authority she possessed was, it called to him on a level deeper than she'd like. She'd have to figure out how to properly harness this at some point in the future, but for now, she knew she could potentially contact him again if she felt like it."Sou ka, this 'Greed' connects us and it will summon you to me if I feel like doing so," she paused her outward speech. 'This guy is more like a pet than a person. And not even one I'd choose for myself. That's so gross... It's like having a weird stalker that knows how I'm feeling...' Kimiko thought. She found something about this man repulsive but at least she understood a little of what triggered his worship of her. "Alright then. I need you to go for now. I don't want to have to explain you to the cops. Nor do people just doing their jobs need to be harmed to get me out of here. If I find use of you... I'll summon you. Until then, stay out of my way..." She said the last with a smile on her face, but there was an underlying seriousness in her eyes. Some people found this sort of speech from her threatening but it was one of her most basic personality functions to be this way.

[Bloodedge]

What would she have of him first, he wondered. No matter the case, it would all be progress toward her overarching goals in the end, and thus would progress his own goals as well. As the Sin Archbishop representing Greed, his ultimate desire was ensuring the fruitful endeavors of Greed itself... and in this case, Kimiko was the embodiment of Greed. She at least understood that it was her Greed keeping them connected, which would always be the case so long as he served her as Archbishop. That, of course, was something he would never not do, so long as she proved herself to be the Witch of Greed, as he knew in the depths of his soul that she was. "When needed, yes. I will claim victory in the war regardless, but it will make quite the statement when the Witch herself decides to join."

Now, there was the matter of what Kimiko actually wanted. Her intention was for him to leave, all so she didn't have to explain things to the police. She didn't believe the officers and investigators needed to be harmed, and would rather he stay out of her way until she had use of him. How foolish; he had already made himself useful. That same unassuming smile stretched across Regulus' face once more, as he explained the situation Kimiko was actually in here and now. "I offered you an exit through my hand earlier, and you refused. Walk out of this building. No one here, besides us, has even been able to move since I arrived. Any records of you being brought in, don't even exist. Go. Seek your goals."