Shibuya

[Apollymi]

She wasn't quite sure how she felt about his statements of need. She didn't need him, she didn't really want him if she was being honest. But that was a simple matter, her own desires were for another. It likely didn't help that he gave off creepy vibes but that may not have been entirely his own fault. "Hmm...." there was much to consider though and none of it required a direct answer. Until of course the ending.

Strangely this man had already made himself useful according to him, he'd already erased her arrest and questioning. Beyond this none here would even remember, that she'd been here. How strange. Kimiko stood for the first time and walked towards the door. She didn't like the idea that she was taking any kind of order from this man and strangely felt the need to maintain a certain amount of dominance over him. She opened the door and peeked out into what should have been a bustling police station and found it still. Motionless soundless, even to the point of it being unnerving. "Sou ka. That is actually pretty reasonable work. Nice job." she said not one to hold back praise even when creeped out. If nothing else, she had to respect his moxie. Even if she didn't like it being directed at her. She turned back to him as she pulled her hood up over her head in the manner she felt most comfortable. "Don't get the wrong idea though. I take what I want... and that last part still stands. Ja ne~" She ended their conversation with the reminder that she wanted him to stay out of her way. She had no desire to get too caught up with this individual, though now she had a full idea that her powers might still be useful here. She'd have to test them, as well as doing something else.

Ashikaga Kimiko moved about in her pink hoodie, dodging the random bodies of the frozen police officers until she hit the outdoors. Assuming nothing else got in her way, she'd be walking the streets of Shibuya that she remembered with new thoughts in her head. All of them concerning the Geno Killer and how to find him. She remembered waiting on his reply during their gift exchange in Atlantis. She'd been such a ball of nerves for days and days. She wasn't sure how she planned to find him exactly yet, but she knew she'd need at least a little time. Perhaps then there was a way to let him know. A smirk came to her face, as she had an idea. It was a pretty simple idea for a very unique message to be left for the lad and as such her path of walking took her towards their favorite arcade. Once there she placed a token in a certain game, one that came to mind because of their discussions. An earlier version of GTA which was like an arena battler game. It was considered a classic but she'd had a good go of it a few times. Here she'd stand and play for a reasonable amount of time. With her hood up at this hour no one was really playing attention to her. This place was one of her favorites because as long as one didn't come here during the school release rush it was quiet. Perhaps this was why the lad known as Geno Killer also frequented this place. Leaving this message would take a great deal of time, and almost broke the high score mechanic. Even so, it was worth it to leave this message, three top scores were created by her. All of them a single word to give the lad some understanding of her current motivation. 9,012,012. That was a really high score. Higher than even the last one up. 6,901,404 A number also basically unattainable by anyone else. 2,515,021. All of those things together were a bit more complicated as a cipher than her original one to him. Each 0 was just there as a place holder, to bolster her scores enough that they couldn't be topped. Moreover, each of the sets of digits beyond that were connected to a letter. A secret message from Kimiko to Geno Killer so he'd know not to give up on her. It was simple this message and though the puzzle was slightly more complicated, she had faith he'd understand. Her desires were strong and she needed him to know how she felt. That message... would he even see it? After spending what most would consider a ridiculous amount of time, inside of this Arcade she left walking back towards her own house. She could have called for a car, but she'd use her walking time to think.

[Bloodedge]

The most casual bow was all Regulus gave as a response to Kimiko's praising. One didn't need to tell him he'd done well; it was simply a fact of life that all he did could be considered an amazing method of doing anything. It seemed however, that Kimiko wished to have him stay away from her regardless. It didn't matter if they were in close proximity; the Witch of Greed would acknowledge his efforts, and there was nothing short of truth in that. "As you wish, my greedy mistress. I'll be seeing you~" he offered as a farewell, seeming content to remain in the vicinity while Kimiko took her leave.

After the annoying meeting with some strange, otherworldly cult, Aiba Yugi made his way home. It had been a while since he'd eaten, even in the other world, but he was in for a time that was both satisfying and unsatisfying. Poor as he was, there was hardly a thing in that storage crate he used as a home besides cup ramen. Naturally, he was going to eat and enjoy it, but he couldn't do so at all without his mind wandering. Kimiko had once mentioned never experiencing cup ramen before─ a moment in which her status as an incredibly wealthy individual showed itself. He remembered being adamant about the idea of locating an equivalent in the other world, just to offer her the experience those in her situation were missing. How droll; the one thing he could think to offer was an almost mandatory meal for those in his own situation. Ah, but he was thinking too much about that. In his mind, there was a very real chance that all those thoughts and decisions no longer mattered.

Once he'd eaten, Yugi decided it was time to return to life as he knew it. He couldn't sit around being lost in his own head forever. He was the Geno Killer, and as such, there was something he always had to do. He left home again, heading to his most frequented arcade as he always did. He was closer at home than he was when heading there after school, so he arrived just a bit earlier than he normally did. Still, the setting sun bid him farewell as he stepped inside the darkened building to play a large chunk of his evening away. There was little traffic, but he always arrived wearing an oversized brown trench coat with a high collar, and a large hat which cast a shadow over his face. There were so many leaderboards to be topped by the lad who looked far sketchier than he needed to, though apparently not much worse than the regular, sweaty customers entering this arcade. One after another, he took away top scores─ including his own from days before. One particular game captured his eye for unusual reasons. Grand Theft Auto was something he and Miki had discussed during their time in Eonis, and the nostalgia of the conversation alone brought him to play for a bit. The interesting thing came when he saw the top three scores, which made him take pause after a moment of observation. Was he to take some sort of message from those three scores, made by a single person in a single sitting? Perhaps he could crack the code, if so. Ah, yes... there were a few ways he could look at this and take some sort of message, but there was one method used which made his eyes widen toward the screen. "Nana... juuni, juuni..." he chanted as he counted each number in his mind. A few moments later, there was a grin upon his face. Well, perhaps he would return a message. . .

Yugi's eyes began to glow red in a way he couldn't realize himself, as he focused on the game ahead of him. All onlookers were capable of seeing was the wide grin on his face, but a few others did swarm around him while watching the highest score be challenged. It was almost as if something had come over him; his performance in this game could be called nothing short of perfection. This arcade's games had a certain feature he wanted to use, which allowed the top score of a game to issue challenges to others on the leaderboard, so long as their own score overthrew second place by a certain amount. With what Kimiko had managed, there was only one way for him to issue challenges in this game. One hour. For one hour, the Geno Killer played a single run until he achieved the highest possible score. When the time came to insert his name at the end, the top number shuffled at one second intervals between 9,999,999, and 0,000,001 while the game attempted to reach a number it couldn't fit on its screen. Now, he could return the message. After 'Geno Killer' was inserted, he pinned numerous scores in a very specific order. He had to scroll nearly to the bottom of the list. Ten challenges could be issued, and ten were issued. The first was a low score, only 9 points. Afterwards, he challenged one who scored 13 points, then one who scored 23 points. A random challenge was given to someone who managed to score only a single point, then another 9. Yugi then challenged a 20, yet another 9, a 14, and a 7. Only one remained, and it was the perfect number... because the final challenge was issued to what had become the #2 score on this game's leaderboard─ Kimiko's own.

With all of that done, it was time to take his leave. Those who sought the Geno Killer would soon be looking for him again, so Yugi thought to vacate the arcade before word spread around too much. All in all, he left half a dozen patrons crowded around one machine, but it didn't seem to be much of a problem. Back home he'd go. . .

[Apollymi]

While the Geno Killer spent a whole hour crushing high scores. A young blonde girl found herself watching for quite a while. What a strange boy. She'd been looking at this same arcade for quite a few days and had seen the other girl in the pink hoodie play the same game for hours. She'd watched as that girl left with a smug satisfaction on her face and she'd waited for others to move about. She seemed to go unseen. But every time she even gently bumped into someone, they immediately felt better. It was simply as if her being nearby brightened the lives of others. A pockmarked boy's face was cleared, a young woman with a limp suddenly straightened her gait. Oh, these were simply the movements of a place way too crowded for its own good. This world was so full... surely they should do something about it. Surely, the one she was looking for might have a better time doing something about this problem. This boy in the oversized trench coat was grinning as he played, very similar to that girl. But here and now, there was something done she hadn't even imagined. 'He beat a score like that? For what?' she wondered. Surely with those eyes that came from the world beyond, he could have done literally anything else with his time... perhaps... it was the sign she'd been searching for. She didn't recognize this lad, but they felt kindred in a way. Perhaps there was an obvious similarity. There was one she felt in her very soul, a pull from the deep. She pushed those blonde locks away. Tucked them deep under her blue and white hat. She took up pace walking alongside the lad as he headed home.

"I wonder, if you're a sinner like me?" she questioned. "I thought that girl might be Pride but she wreaks of something else. I can smell her in the air, she smells like him. Oh well... I can't associate myself with her. But you... you could be Pride." she said softly. "Or maybe not... you might be a bit too familiar to be that," she spoke easily. She wasn't like the previous people. She'd been active. For quite a long time she'd been in this world. Enough that she understood games and things. Perhaps even a bit of an Urban Legend herself now that she moved about in such a way. Not that it mattered she turned her large blue eyes up at this young man and waited for his reply.

[Bloodedge]

Home... that was his goal. Maybe eventually, he'd be allowed to do the things he wanted in the time he wanted to do them. He wanted to think over recent occurrences, and some annoying cult got in his way. He wanted to play his games, and his own secret identity got in his way. He wanted to go back home and be done with the events of this day, and now... he was being followed by another damned psychopath! Someone talking to him out of the blue while he made this trip was hardly strange. He was approached like this every now and again by pesky children, usually trying to pin him as a flasher, or a train molester. He never let the speeches bother him on his scenic trip home, but the words spoken by this feminine voice were of a different nature entirely. . .

Was he a sinner? In many ways, he would agree without a second thought. In this world alone, he had caused such horrible things to happen through actions that he thought were for the best at the time. Strangely though, this girl seemed to be on a very different wavelength than even himself. This talk of 'Pride' and some girl, who went compared to him in such a way could only have been Kimiko during her earlier arcade trip, was... somewhat off-putting. "Yare yare," he uttered, knowing this was about to be another thorn in his side. "What the hell are you even talking about? Pride? Sounds dumb; go away."

[Apollymi]

"Hm?" the girl's large blue eyes flickered over this lad. He did indeed have the general look of a molester or flasher, but that didn't matter. She'd seen the glow in his eyes, she knew there was something much more to him than something so mundane. "I'm looking for a Witch of Sin. I can sense them, Pride is the leader of all we'd all follow that one, but..." she paused. "No one knows who Pride is. I thought it might have been that girl her actions made it seem so... but then, she got Greedy!~" she chimed seeming to find it amusing. "She's definitely the Witch of Greed. So... she'll be associated with him," she mentioned. "Ah, but you wanted me to go away. That's strange, someone who came from the other world should be a bit more happy to see another like them. Unless you've already ran into one of the others... then it would make sense that you weren't happy to find another like minded individual!~" the girl spoke like she was thinking about things and she was, but there was more at stake than something so small.

"One who was Pride would definitely admit it though..." she said softly. "So you have to be one of the other ones then. But what sins fit a gamer aside from Greed and Pride?"

[Bloodedge]

Of course... this one was also going to yammer on about something that should never have mattered to Yugi in the first place. In only three words, 'Witch of Sin' to be specific, she proved her association with that troublesome group from earlier. Yugi sighed. He knew there were going to be other factions that caught up to him. This one was... Pride? No; that didn't make enough sense. He could now assume some association with the seven cardinal sins, and therefore seven factions representing each of them, but... he couldn't imagine someone representing Pride to be this girl. Perhaps she was Lust. She did, after all, have the look of some strange, otherworldly nun; people were into that. It didn't matter regardless. "So, you think that girl was a Witch called Greed. And you think I, a dude, am also a Witch... of Pride? It's not getting any less dumb," he proclaimed.

This girl was convinced that he was whatever 'Witch' she was looking for in that head of hers, only wondering witch one. If all it took was letting her believe otherwise to make her leave him alone, he'd simply have to avoid showing any qualities one would expect. Yes, that would surely work! "There's no point calling me a sinner because I'm a gamer. For your information, I avoid stuff that would be called sins. Everything I do is for good purpose; I can't help any negative connotations you get from the aftermath, and they're not my fault," he said, in spite of the fact that he spoke from a very real place deep within... and certainly thought those negatives to be his fault. For now, all he wanted was to say something that would make this girl leave.

[Apollymi]

It seemed he didn't want her to go away just yet. Was he fishing for information? Probably but that didn't much matter. She'd give him what he needed until she pegged him for a sin. Either, he'd be one she could tolerate or he'd be one she avoided. It was very simple she only needed to figure out which one he was. "Yes, I am quite sure she is... she smells even more Greedy than that Archbishop and he's the greediest person I've ever known. I hate him..." she clinched her right hand together in a tight fist. She imagined punching that man right in his smug face, of beating him to a bloody pulp. But... alas that would never be. There was fury burning beneath the surface of her person. "But Witch is a general term it doesn't have those male and female connotations. If you'd rather be referenced as a Warlock I suppose I could. This world is full of those types, I guess I shouldn't be surprised..." she said speaking of the culture of people who were overly concerned with male and female pronouns.

Still this lad's words may have been meant to put her off, but her own mind began to wander as he spoke. He spoke of only trying to do good, of the aftermath not being something that was his fault of a deep connotation. "I've been here a very long time... and I've seen the kinds of creatures gamers become, since the inception of such an idea~" she mumbled. All this lass had been pulled over here quite a long time ago. So long in fact, that she'd had plenty of time to learn new languages, earn new fames and see the same great anger burning in the back of her mind. "But those words... those are the words of someone kindred. Oh!" she seemed excited as she clapped those little hands of hers together. "You do the right thing and watch it go wrong? Do you save many to lose that which is important?!" she questioned her eyes going rather wide and large at the same time. "Are those hands of yours stained in blood that saved and harmed!? Lungs tainted by breaths that exist because you willed it even though every breath is full of burning fury at how stupid they all are!?" Closer and closer the girl got, though she seemed to be on the verge of a mental break. "Do you cry the tears of rage because no matter what you do, it always comes back to that same stupid moment!?~" This girl's tirade was in general one of psychosis but also of truth. Her fists were clenched so tightly her hands should have been bleeding but no harm came to her person. She punched the wall of the nearest building repeatedly and yet nothing happened but the wall began to break. Literally nothing about this girl should have shown that kind of strength and yet, she was unharmed by her own actions. No one could ever be harmed by her direct actions, not even herself.

[Bloodedge]

"Smells greedy? Alright. Cool story," he said in the flattest tone he could muster. Whatever area of the other world this one had come from, she seemed sold on the idea that 'Witch' was not quite as gender-exclusive as this world would have him believe. He didn't care; there was nothing linking him to such an identity. Witch, Warlock, he didn't care for any of it. While he was here and human, he would rather remain upbeat with the new information he'd received worth being excited over. Kimiko sent him a roundabout message to announce that she was searching for him, but sadly, she wasn't the only one who sought his attention. One could only wonder if she was meeting the same types of freaks he'd been seeing all day.

What Yugi thought to be a method of removing this girl from his presence... was very much the opposite. In a moment of revelation, he came to the conclusion that he would have been best seeking more knowledge before going with that method. His mind was too busy for this problem to be in front of him now. Busier yet, was the blonde who grew more psychotic by the moment! What was she even going on about? The words he spoke were kindred? That could mean so many things, but the true meaning became clear only as her excitement grew to unmanageable levels. Words flew from her mouth like objects carried by a conveyer belt gone haywire, and her fists slammed repeatedly into a wall that should have shattered the bones of a human assaulting it─ yet she remained intact while the wall began to crumble. Of seven sins, there was only one that could suit these actions and words... and he knew if there was any chance of him being a Witch, Warlock or whatever term applied, it was certainly suited to how he often felt deep inside. Slowly, he backed away. This girl was beyond erratic, and though Yugi doubted he could properly remove himself from her, he thought to put as much space between them as possible while offering his reply. "Alright, so which answer will get you to not try and recruit me for that crazy tournament those other guys were talking about? I don't plan to be anybody's tool for some war to change this whole planet into a thing I play as a video game─"

[Apollymi]

Yes, the girl smelled greedy, but that wasn't exactly all there was to the explanation. In truth the smell of those who held Authorities, was strong and slightly different for each of the ones which existed. Those who were attuned with such powers could both feel the connection to those powers when they were alike enough and smell the scents of ones they weren't aligned to. Such was a sensible way for the world to work.

At the same time the girl's excitement hit a fever pitch. She knew for a fact that this lad was one with the same feeling of hers. She hadn't been able to see it initially but the familiarity in his tone was one which she understood greatly. Her hands covered in brick dust, her manic outburst stopped, just as suddenly as it had started. She noted the amount of space this lad put between them and turned to him with a wide smile on her face. "Recruit?! No you have the wrong idea..." she said. "I don't know which one you saw before but only those who don't know what you are would try and recruit you... but I know... I know!~" the girl said. "I don't want to recruit you. I'm not meant to... I'm meant to work for you. You're my Ruler!~ Or maybe you prefer King?! A Warlock of Wrath!~ I didn't expect to find such a person!~" there were tears in her eyes. Perhaps she'd finally found whatever redemption she was seeking? Or maybe she was truly unhinged? "I don't know what I want, but I don't belong here... if there is something you wish out of that place, I'll see that you get it... you only need know one thing~" she mentioned holding her fingers together in a tiny space to make one thing about her clear. "I can't harm anyone... it isn't how Wrath speaks to me nor works through me. I can harm no one... directly. And I have no control over the consequences of my actions~" she chuckled after saying this like it was the funniest thing in the world. In this case, she wasn't looking to recruit, more or less she was looking for someone to make use of her skills. And the Witch of Wrath should have been the person she followed. If he wished to be called a Warlock she'd do that. If he didn't wish to participate in the tournament she'd not. No matter what if he wished it of her, if she could do it, she would. What a strange amount of devotion for someone she'd only recently seen and met. "Oh right. I'm Minerva and I am the Sin Archbishop representing Wrath," she said bowing before this lad.

[Bloodedge]

Apparently, this weird woman didn't intend to recruit him at all. Now that he thought about it, the purple-haired one earlier spoke of her leader being something one would call a Witch. So, this one thought he was the Witch of her faction, and resigned herself to servitude? How strange. At the very least, it seemed she was much calmer now; that was a huge plus in Yugi's book. He could certainly hear what she was saying, whether it meant anything in the end or not. "Ruler, huh? King? That's all pretty weird, but whatever keeps your wig from flipping, I guess. Whatever."

The Archbishop Minerva, as she claimed to be, offered an explanation of her powers... her limitations. All things considered, she seemed to be some strange sort of healer class. That explained why she had taken no damage at all from all the wall-punching she'd done, and Yugi could see a few benefits to having such a person around... but something else she said struck him the wrong way. The lad glanced left to right, then slipped into the nearest alley, avoiding the eye of others. Another cult of Minerva's ilk knew his identity earlier this day, so there was little point in keeping that silly trench coat and hat on now. Still within the alley, assuming Minerva remained at least within earshot, he kept the discussion going. "Archbishop of Wrath... long title," he started. "So... what do you mean when you say you can't control the consequences of your actions?" This question was, by far, the most important subject to Yugi in this conversation thus far. He had already begun toying with the idea of being this supposed Witch/Warlock of Wrath, but the reason behind said consideration was the same reason behind his inquiry. If this status was connected to some sort of power that he was allegedly meant to have even in the current world, he demanded understanding of it... or even, justification for events long since passed.

[Apollymi]

According to this lad as long as she was calm he was alright with her. Was this acceptance of her as his servant? She hoped so, she remained calm but there was a light of excitement in her eyes as she managed to keep herself nearer to more reasonable levels of emotion. The lad slipped into the alleyway, assuming he wished for privacy she didn't follow and instead found herself at the end of it close enough to hear but not looking directly in his path. His question about her abilities was indeed the correct one to ask. But why did he bother to question it? Perhaps his power hadn't properly manifested yet, perhaps then there was still time. "I mean it as I said it. I cannot hurt anyone, directly. But I can't control what happens afterwards. This power re-writes what is true and makes it the opposite. If I act against something it heals. If I am enraged fight, I heal with every blow. This will work even to the brink of death. But the magical power of such an action is ripped directly from the world. So at random, tragedy will befall another, every time I act. Such is the nature of Wrath as I hold it." Her words were simple but very clear. She could heal millions directly but kill just as many indirectly because of the universe righting itself. Of course, she had no idea who or what would be damaged as a result of her actions, but she knew it to be a direct connection. Whatever the case, she would act as directed from this point forward. "No worries though, if I am your servant I will act according to your wishes and not my own. If you want to reign random terror down upon the masses I will make it so, but if you'd rather use me more effectively... I will not act without permission." Her voice held a sing-song quality at the end of this... sentence she seemed to be wholly relieved and strangely agreeable. Perhaps she would rather be used as a weapon than have the weight of each of her actions fall to her own shoulders.

[Bloodedge]

Interesting information was to come in a matter of moments, while Yugi shoved his hat into a backpack and slung the discarded coat over his shoulder. Minerva revealed the truth, and Yugi began to believe in this power. A life saved meant a life lost, and vice versa. What then, would happen if numerous lives saved by a single action created a chain of horrendous events? It certainly seemed viable, and therefore functional as an explanation for his own past. Frankly, Yugi wasn't sure if he should feel relieved... or annoyed by this 'power' he allegedly possessed. "Karma as a superpower... maybe even as a cost to the use of power. That's weird. I think I might hate it," he said somberly from within the alley. Soon enough, he emerged. This girl announced her status as a servant to his will. Yugi wasn't one for absolute servitude, but she was from the other world. He could be fair here, and also secure a future for himself and others.

Regardless of what that other group believed and sought, Yugi wanted access to the other world on a whim. If all things went according to his desire while Kimiko searched for him, and after successfully discovering his true self... then what if they became separated? He'd been moved between worlds twice now, neither time by choice. His sister was dead to this world, but very much alive in the other. His life there was exciting, even though he thoroughly enjoyed the dual life of a gamer and urban legend in this world. Being able to run from one to the other was so titillating, how could one resist? Moreover, it was best to let those who were foreign to the current world return from whence they came, lest there be chaos here. "Yare yare. For right now, I guess my choice has been made until I hopefully get a very specific second opinion. Don't go reigning terror on anyone who hasn't done wrong. I'm heading home. I guess that weird chick was right, though... I'll probably end up in that Holy Grail War after all. Oh, and.... fix that wall if you can, yeah? Don't just go around breaking stuff."

[Apollymi]

"I do hate it... but that is part of the reason it works for me~" she still sounded happy but there was a dark edge and dark light in those bright blue eyes of hers. And in that moment it was obvious that she was old, much older than her body would make her seem. Years and years played in those eyes in just a few seconds. Whatever the case her new King had orders for her which were specific but also slightly vague. He didn't want her harming anyone who didn't deserve it. She was to fix the wall she broke and be at the ready for some potential event in the future. "I will do my best to follow these directions. I will be around if I am needed," the lass said and then she walked towards the wall she'd broken while her master went on about his day.

As Yugi had more strange encounters, Kimiko had one which was a bit more normal. After she'd gotten some lunch and left the arcade her phone had vibrated a reminder for her weekly meeting with her therapist. As a matter of absolute curiosity she'd found herself in the office of one Kitera Ume and within this office the black haired girl was sitting in her favorite chair discussing her current developments in very non-specific terms. It'd become obvious to her since she'd showed up here, that this version of her therapist wasn't yet a player of AoE. Kimiko had softly explained that playing the game she'd met someone and she'd wished to find that person. This had ended strangely in the lass asking for some advice which was currently being played out. "So, do I actually look? Like is it selfish of me to look?" She asked of the young woman. Kitera pushed her purple glasses up onto her nose and began to speak. She didn't directly answer the lass' question but instead walked her through her own thought processes. "You are worried that the connection you developed without knowing each other in person will crumble once you are more than just pixels on a screen. This is a very normal insecurity to have... you shouldn't feel bad for having such an anxiety, Ashikaga," she explained. "Also I wouldn't outright call it selfish. We all get curious when what we see and know of someone is only part of who they are... and we all aim to piece together what we can based on that. Figuring out if our ideas and realities match up, is a normal thing," she concluded. "Kitera you never really answer my questions you know? You always just point me in the direction you think I'm already leaning... that's weird." Kimiko mentioned as she anxiously twirled one of her pigtails between her fingers. "I am aware of all of your nervous habits as your doctor. I know how you feel and I cannot tell you directly what to do. Nor can I say if you are right or wrong based only on what you tell me. I can only make guesses based on your own mannerisms. And what I see now...." she gave a brief pause as she removed her glasses. "Is a girl who has obviously developed feelings she is has never had before and is trying to process them. Who is a bit afraid of rejection. But you can't allow a simple fear to stop you from doing something. If you need some assurance, I assume there is a way you can find out that you should. And knowing how proactive you are... you've at least partially taken care of that already," she said and Kimiko's eyes widened at her rightness. "I would advise you find the answer you set yourself up for, and proceed the way your heart will allow you to, opening up a bit can sometimes be painful. But... it can also be wonderful," she mentioned as another timer beeped. "And that is the end of our session. You've shown a lot of growth this week. Do make sure not to worry anyone with your non-disclosure agreements. And I'll look forward to hearing what you decided."

And with that... Kimiko gave a gentle bow and left out of the office. What a surreal experience. While she thought this over, she pulled her hood back on and placed a large pair of sunglasses over her eyes. In her own eyes, she was perfectly disguised as she headed back to the arcade. It had been more than half a day since her last visit perhaps she'd received a bit of confirmation. Though the walk she took there was admittedly slow as her heart beat in her chest at a strange frequency. And she once again argued with herself over her doubts. 'Come on Kimi, you can't go making outlandish declarations multiple times, and be scared of a bad reaction. He... can be trusted.' she felt that thought in the depths of her soul.

[Bloodedge]

Once he was home, Yugi took all the time necessary to consider what he'd learned after returning to this world. Up to seven cults of some sort existed from the world he'd been plunged into. At least two of said cults wished to experience their home again, even if for different reasons. The first he met... was quite problematic. With this new Wrath faction, though, he could at least take matters into his own hands. The important thing to consider for now, was this power of Wrath. . .

For every action, there was a reaction. This ability could not harm without helping elsewhere as he understood, but he also could not help without doing harm. The latter stipulation was not one he could not tolerate at all. What good could he even do, if every positive resulted in the same amount of negativity coming as a repercussion? Nonsense! This was just another puzzle to be solved, and he'd sit atop his futon and contemplate a way to avoid such ridiculous drawbacks before making use of a power. Actually... what if he had been making use of that power actively all along? It could easily be likened to situations earlier in his human life, but also potentially manifested in his Avatars. There were certain abilities his various selves utilized that simply felt... different when triggered with anything resembling a vengeful mindset. Was this the core of Wrath? If that were the case, he may have been on the right track already. If not, he would have to solve a different sort of puzzle─ one he would undertake with the intention of removing Wrath from his being entirely. 'Mendokuse. If there's one thing I actually hate, it's a negative drawback like that. I feel like there's something there, though...' he thought. Perhaps it was best if he gave heavy consideration to the skills he had in mind?

'Counter... Constant Flux... Everything Akashi does... and...' Yugi's eyes widened as he stared into his ceiling. His most recent Avatar had something that fit so perfectly. Within it, there was the ultimate ability to enhance all damage output at the cost of himself. Could that have been it? Perhaps the power of Wrath came with consequences simply due to how it was being used previously. The counter ability of Kou had no such feeling, but maybe 'counters' were the solution.

[Apollymi]

'He can be trusted.' It was her mantra. 'He can be trusted.' Kimiko had to keep repeating it, so she could believe it. 'He can be trusted.' Oh? Something was a bit amiss. Unlike the time previous there were several people crowded around the Grand Theft Auto game machine. Several were wearing matching school uniforms and were discussing the Urban Legend known as the Geno Killer. "Wait don't let anyone get rid of it, before we take a picture!" said one. "Yep! He was definitely here, challenged a bunch of random scores. No one saw any reason though!" another guy said. "Shit we barely missed him, but why challenge a bunch of low scores if he beat the high one?" they questioned aloud. Kimiko squeezed through to see the machine and what she saw made her face break out into a strange smile. She looked at the screen and saw that he'd flipped the numbers on the high score, but more over, there were 10 challenges issued. "Oi oi, don't challenge it, we're trying to figure out why he did it!" someone excitedly uttered. "Sou ka, no problem, I just want to see it too..." she said. After a few moments she saw the challenges issued in addition to her now secondary score. The cipher was her own so it was rather easy to read in the moment. Placing those numbers in order her eyes lit up and an excited giggle escaped her. She then turned and left the arcade with a confused group of young teens staring at her. "Eh? Maybe she was just crazy. No one gets the Geno Killer!" one child exclaimed.

He was wrong. She fully understood, she could have squealed her happiness in this moment. 'He's waiting!' Knowing that information made the girl's heart so light. She couldn't even help but feel quite elated at it. And with that lightness in her heart came the clarity of her mind. She had to think about how best to find him. He claimed in two of his forms to have given her all the information she needed to find him. And had gone beyond to claiming he wanted to be found. As she walked towards her own home again she began putting together her next set of thoughts. What did she know? 'He goes to my school. He loves puzzles and video games. He has an oddly political mind and is a bit ill tempered. Can't complain about that last part, I get it.' She thought in a line of branches into several different lines of thought. 'Wouldn't be directly involved with Student Council we're similar and I am not involved with them either though they want me to be. It's carrying and the Geno Killer doesn't carry.' She marked off a line of thought completely and back tracked. 'Ill-tempered means he could be a punk, but... that doesn't fit with the big-brother mentality either. His sister is a bit spoiled by his attention and admitted to being sickly while she was here. He wouldn't do anything that could have potentially jeopardized her. Mark that off too.' Her walk towards home had become a roving map in her mind as she tried various lines of thought to get her towards figuring out the Geno Killer's identity. 'People know he does puzzles, because he finds that annoying he hides his identity in video games. He even advised me to do the same when we talked on the ship. That means, no one would know who he was, if I mentioned gaming. Knowing his gamer tag also lets me rule out any potential claims anyone would have to being him but so does his love of puzzles.' She moved forward from that thought to the next one pausing at a crosswalk. That was a pretty straight forward line of thought which led her pretty close to a reasonable conclusion, ah, but that wouldn't really work at face value. 'Hm, but he doesn't want people bothering him. He wouldn't just be a member of the Puzzle Club. I couldn't just walk in looking for him...' she twisted that lock of hair around as she continued to think over this problem. She took it back a few steps. 'He doesn't want people bothering him, and he wouldn't be a member of the Puzzle Club... but someone in the Puzzle Club should know who is he... because they've been trying to recruit him.' Her eyes lit up! Potentially one step closer, to solving this puzzle of the boy. So, she at least knew what the next step of her journey was, in her search to find the real Geno Killer, she needed to find those who sought him for his puzzle solving abilities. This mean being indirect, she needed information about the Puzzle Club, its members and their practices. She didn't doubt her ability to get information out of people, but it was definitely easier if she came with full ammunition. So, she pulled out her phone and sent a text message to a certain Systems Administrator of her company. She was about to pay the girl to do some off the books work for her.