A desolate landscape filled with remnants of what once was a prosperous metropolitan city.
That was the first realization Nozomi had of her surroundings while a strong gust of wind billowed her blonde hair.
Before she could question where she was, the ground exploded right behind her. This made her jump in surprise.
Nozomi hadn't been able to get her bearings before more explosions rang out all around her. Wha-, what's going on!?
Almost as if the skies had heard her silent plea to free her of her confusion, the sound of someone revving a motor engine pierced through the loud sounds of explosions.
When Nozomi turned her attention towards the source, her eyes widened at the huge individual covered from head to toe in black full-plate armor. He was donning a red cape that billowed behind him while driving what appeared to be a mix between a motorcycle and the aesthetics of a white horse. He wielded a majestic spear in one hand.
As the armored man drove past her, Nozomi soon realized that he wasn't alone. She could see a huge army of soldiers in military gear charge into battle alongside tanks.
Nozomi had been forced to cover her ears unless she risked becoming deaf from all the explosions caused by the tanks as they fired at the same time. This was right before their target retaliated with energy blasts of pink that vaporized the tanks along with some unlucky foot soldiers.
Her horrified expression from the carnage soon turned into one of surprised awe as she spotted a few distinct individuals who bravely joined the charge.
One of them was a man dressed in cowboy clothes. He rode on a horse alongside his crew into battle. With the revolver that he wielded, he shot bullets that somehow caused bigger explosions than the tanks by a noticeable margin.
Another was a woman who rode a pale horse, while its rider was a skeleton in black armor. As they rode, the woman pulled out a card and said something Nozomi couldn't quite hear. Then a tiny beam of light shot from the card towards the sky.
When Nozomi dared to look up, her eyes immediately widened. The clouds from the sky that had once only had attack helicopters and jet fighters parted. This revealed the giant angel that the woman had summoned. The angel wielded an equally huge trumpet with both hands.
As the angelical figure sounded the trumpet, Nozomi assumed that it was some sort of signal. Thousands of circular portals opened in the sky soon after. From those portals came an army almost as numerous as the ground forces on the ground.
If Nozomi had to describe most of the flying army, they looked like wizards and witches out of a fantasy book. They cruised the skies on their broomsticks while shooting magic out of their wands at something out of Nozomi's sight.
Just like the ground army, some distinct individuals caught her eye.
The first one was the almost five-meter-tall woman with black hair, soft eyes, and skin pale as snow. She was wearing a white kimono and gracefully flew through the sky without wings. A familiar small masked kid was on her shoulder. The kid seemed to be pointing at something ahead, which the giant woman nodded at in agreement before creating and throwing huge snowflakes at something.
The other unique individuals she saw were also hard to ignore.
A martial artist crossed the skies atop his sword with a golden pagoda floating right behind him. This emanated a ridiculous power from afar.
A costumed superhero in complete yellow call forth a huge tornado from their hands.
Two mechanical behemoths unleashed their equally huge arsenal without impunity. On the shoulders of the smaller behemoth, there was a masked girl dressed in all red who hadn't hesitated to jump from the giant robot's shoulder so she could punch whoever their target was.
On the left and right shoulders of the bigger behemoth, there were a wizard and a witch, respectively, who also hadn't held back with their magic. Said magic was considerably stronger than most other magical users.
Whoever their opponent was, they surely wouldn't stand a chance.
That was what Nozomi believed as she witnessed the battle unfolding all around her.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
One by one, they all fell. They either got completely vaporized by blasts of energy or, in the case of large targets like the two colossal robots, they got damaged enough that what remained of them fell on top of the ground troops below.
When it was over, Nozomi looked around her surroundings with crushed hope and a haunted look. No one seemed to have survived.
Her eyes soon took notice of the ominous, shadowy individual that floated in the air. They were surrounded by all the destruction they had caused.
As Nozomi kept staring at them, there was only one word her mind seemed to associate with them. "Crossover..." Nozomi blinked a few times. She was confused as to why she said that and why she said it out loud.
She soon froze solid where she was as the shadowy individual turned around and stared right at her.
"You...you shouldn't be here." A voice that sounded both familiar and unrecognizable to Nozomi said, raising its hand towards the scared girl before blinding her in a bright flash of light.
The next thing Nozomi knew, she was staring at the ceiling of her room.
Nozomi blinked a few times. Her vision slowly cleared as reality settled in, and any memories of her dream quickly vanished, leaving her briefly confused before shrugging off.
Huh, I guess it really wasn't a dream…
Was Nozomi's first thought as her eyes were immediately welcomed by Seiza's peaceful form curled up on the carpet when she woke up.
Cute. She thought, her heart lightened, and a small smile crept across her lips.
Yet, a gnawing unease tugged at her thoughts, eluding her, like a whisper lost on the wind. As she tore her eyes from Seiza and glanced at her alarm clock, she soon let out a scream that woke up anyone who hadn't yet in her neighborhood.
Without a further moment of hesitation, she sprang out of bed, any remnants of sleep swept away by urgency.
Late, late, late, clothes! Late, late, late, hair!
Seiza roused from his slumber, blinking drowsily as he observed Nozomi's frantic efforts to change into her school uniform and comb her hair. "What the—what's the-?"
"SCHOOL!!" Nozomi screamed while slipping on her bronze pendant, grabbed her school bag, and dashed out of her room.
Outside her home, wolfing down her breakfast with one hand to her face and her school bag in the other, Nozomi raced toward school, Seiza following her with great effort. Urgh, just what I needed! HOW DO I KEEP FORGETTING TO SET MY ALARM CLOCK!?
As she neared the school gates, having finished and put the breakfast bento inside her schoolbag, Nozomi stopped in her tracks.
Seiza, a few steps ahead, turned back in confusion. "Huh? What's...wrong?" he asked between breaths, concerned about edging his voice.
Nozomi hesitated, apprehension clear in her furrowed brow. "Umm, well…" She took a deep breath, steeling herself for honesty. "I... don't think the school would allow me to bring you, Seiza..."
Seiza blinked before letting out a lighthearted chuckle. "Pfft, oh, don't worry about that. Open your school bag and I'll show you a neat trick."
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In an isolated chamber far from prying eyes, Kurai stood within a meticulously drawn ritual circle, her posture rigid with concentration.
The air around her crackled with latent energy, the atmosphere almost palpably heavy as she chanted a summoning spell in a language that seemed to resonate with the very stones of the ancient structure. "Now come back, monster that serves the Great Master!"
Her command echoed through the vast, shadowed room, reverberating off the cold, damp walls.
For a tense moment, silence lingered, holding its breath as if the very room awaited the response. Then, a blinding flash of dark light erupted from the center of the circle, forcing Kurai to shield her eyes. The brilliance was both beautiful and terrifying, an explosion of raw, untamed power that momentarily banished the surrounding darkness.
As the light dissipated, Kurai's vision slowly returned, revealing an oppressive cloud of dark smoke swirling ominously within the circle. The smoke was thick and suffocating, carrying a faint scent of brimstone and decay.
She waited, expecting any presence to emerge, but none came.
Frustration bubbled within her, to the point a scowl started to show on her face."Okay, this time I am one-hundred percent sure there were no mistakes with the ritual, so what's going on?" She muttered to herself.
With a hand on her chin, she began to pace around the room in a circle, her mind racing through the possibilities. Each step made her heels click sharply against the stone floor. "Has something happened to it? Unlikely." She continued muttering to herself.
Her eyes narrowed as the ambiguity gnawed at her with each unanswered question. Could it have been captured? No, its unique magic and agility would make such a scenario highly improbable. Perhaps an adversary with the right skill set to counter it?
Kurai's mind recalled the moment a contract was formed between her and the darkspawn. How they assured success in their task, and the unwavering loyalty they promised to her.
As the smoke cleared, confirming for good the emptiness of the summoning circle, a chill ran down her spine. She needed answers, and she needed them quickly, unless she risked paying for her complacency. Then again, who would be able to give me the answers I-?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Who's there?" She spat, not in the mood.
"It's me," a familiar, calm voice replied, causing her frustration to deflate slightly.
"Oh..." Kurai sighed, composing herself. "Come in."
A figure, wearing casual clothes, a black cap, a face mask, and black goggles, entered. "I'm here to deliver the recipient," he said, lifting his left hand to reveal a darkly glowing cylindrical object wreathed in shadows.
Kurai stepped forward, taking the offered object before feeling its power. "Yes... This will do just fine." She nodded, feeling a measure of relief over something going right in her day.
She soon shifted her gaze to the silent figure, who waited for her next order. "Ah. You're still here... well… actually, I may have a new order for you. My summoned darkspawn from yesterday hasn't returned even after trying to recall them through a ritual."
She pointed at the door with a practiced motion. "Find out what happened to it! If a person is responsible for it, bring them here alive. If the situation grows beyond your control... You have permission to do whatever is necessary for your survival. Understood?"
The figure nodded and left without a word.
Once alone, Kurai exhaled a weary sigh. Raising her hand, a dark spark erupted, summoning a bean bag from the shadows. She collapsed onto it, spreading her arms wide.
Lifting the cylinder, her thoughts started to reflect by its ominous glow. Why is he so different? Even with a century gap between him and the second youngest... they are pretty water and oil from how far apart they are! She lowered the object, staring at the cracked, cobwebbed ceiling.
After ten minutes, she felt somewhat restored, standing up from the bean bag which soon vanished as if it had never been there. If push comes to shove, I guess I could call for their help...
With those thoughts, she exited the room, the door creaking closed behind her.
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At school, Nozomi fidgeted nervously at her desk, attempting to look like she was simply minding her own business.
"Hey, keep it together. No one will notice if you stop looking like you're hiding something." Seiza whispered from inside her magically-expanded school bag, which appeared smaller from the outside.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to breathe in-and-out to relax. Halfway through, she spotted Yoshino entering the classroom. Concern etched her face as she saw her friend's disheveled appearance and exhausted eyes.
Strange...she reminds me of someone, but I can't quite pinpoint who. Nozomi thought, oblivious to Yoshino's current appearance, reminding the air-head girl of herself.
Yoshino trudged to her seat, slumping over her desk without a word. Nozomi was about to wake her, fearing she'd get in trouble, but Seiza whispered, "She probably couldn't bring herself to sleep. After yesterday, I can't blame her. Better to let her rest."
Nozomi nodded reluctantly, her worry for Yoshino soon mingling with her thoughts of the day ahead.
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When the school bell rang for the start of classes, Life entered the classroom in his teacher's disguise, carrying his backpack. "Alright class, everyone in your seats!"
A few seconds after he spoke, everyone settled into their seats with no further fuss. When Life was about to start class, he noticed Yoshino sleeping at her desk. Seriously?! I am the best teacher this school, scratch that, this UNIVERSE could possibly have, and you STILL decide to sleep in class?! He scowled at her, considering briefly whether to make an example out of her to deter any potential delinquents.
He retrieved the sheet of paper with the student's names to put a name to a face.
One of the first names he saw was Kettei Yoshino. There we go, Kettei... right, if I remember correctly... She is a side character who's friends with Nozomi. Not that relevant in the grand scheme of things…
With that out of the way, he reconsidered her predicament as Nozomi traded nervous glances between Yoshino and him, sweating buckets worth of sweat. If it wasn't so disgusting and threatening a death by dehydration, I would've found your display of nervousness amusing.
Life sighed internally. I suppose I could look the other way this time. Yes, a small reward for her performance back there.
He turned his back to the class to face the blackboard after writing the day's lesson in English on it, and he turned to address his students. "Alright, everyone, open your books to page 8!"