*A Primarina pokes her head out of the water. Upon seeing the man, she dives back under, re-emerging on the other side.* So it's you again. *She pulls herself onto the path and looks at the altar* Will we have to do... that again?

[Cold metal presses against the back of the well-dressed man's head. A hole in the middle of a circle. It is unmistakably the barrel of a gun, a revolver apparently. A black cat slinks onto the bench, and begins licking his paw. The cat turns up to the man and looks him in the eye.] A word from someone not at gunpoint to one who is, spill the beans on what you did with Kazuya or we'll see more of you than we ever wanted to, capiche?

"There is no need for senseless violence, if you wanted to know you could have just asked." [The man writes something fast before leaving the notebook on the side.] "Yes, if you want everything to be answer you will have to keep playing. If you are lucky, you will be able to retrieve Kazuya, but that's just the beginning. Right now, we are playing a...game of sorts. Sometime ago I made an offer to him, the day he recieved my calling card."

A game? What kind of game? ...And please put the weapon down, Raidou. *Primarina gives Raidou a nervous glance before getting herself upright, using her tail for balance* But more importantly... what happens if we don't find him?

[Realizing that this was more or less a situation, Raidou concedes and holsters his revolver. He continues glaring holes into the back of the man's head while Gouto begins talking again.] A game? What's that supposed to mean, and what do you mean by calling card?

**Hostage situation oops

"You will find him, the thing that is at stake is something else." [The man look inside his pocket for something, and he pulls out a small card of black and red, similar to the one the Phantom Thieves use. It's signed by "Lester P. Melbourne".] "I gave this to him after the Tournament, I could just feel how lost he felt. And figured it would be best to make the "offer" then. I never expected so many people to show up inside that room, though."

*Prim can't really understand the card since she can't read, but it feels important...* So... something else... I doubt you'll tell us what it is, but it's certainly something very important. Let's not waste any time in finding Kazuya, then. Shall we begin?

[Raidou snatches the card and examines it. He reads the name out loud to himself before stashing it in his cloak. Gouto wags his tail and tilts his head at this Melbourne fellow.] So then Mr. Melbourne, what now?

[The card itself reads: "Mr. Kazuya Yasuo. It has come to my attention a sudden change in character from you, and I leave this to offer you a deal you won't be able to refuse. All you, Mr Kazuya, have to do, is recall your own memories, look deep inside of yourself to claim what was lost. Lester P. Melbourne."] "Now, we continue onto the next part." [Time around the pair appears to slow down until it's get to a full stop. Nothing is moving, and even the air begins to feel heavy. Their surroundings are slowly being covered by thick mist, almost making it impossible to see more than two meter away from them. And Melbourne's body joins the mist like a ghostly mirage. The ducks in the pond make a loud noise, as if in pain. And then, they are suddenly silenced.]

[Raidou was mouthing the words on card to himself, but drops to his knees as space and time shift around him. He looks around, alert and awaiting what will happen once things settle down.]

*Primarina looks around, dropping back down to her flippers. The mist is... unsettling. Nothing like her own mist. She shuffles over to where she thinks Raidou is and narrows her eyes. Maybe if she looked hard enough, she could find that door they had gone through...*

[As Primarina look around, she is able to notice a small trail of red water, leading to the direction where the pond was supposed to be. You can't tell exactly what is beyond. Next to the pair, nothing but the altar and bench remain.]

[Raidou stands up, and takes in his surroundings. Or in this case, lack thereof. He sees the red water, and gestures to Primarina as if to ask if they should go toward it.]

I think there's something this way... *Primarina begins following the water (or at least, she hopes it's water), which seems to be one of the few landmarks in this fog. She gives the altar one last look before venturing into the mist*

[Raidou adjusts his hat, and follow's Prim's lead.]

[As they bravely walk through the mist, the grass and dirt they were stepping on felt more and more like some kind of sponge. The green turns to a clear blue and they can hear a cracking sound with every step they take. The air is colder, but the wind feels hotter. And just a few meters away from them, a dark abyss can be seen, despite the mist covering everything with zero visibility. It's completely empty, but a something akin to a faint voice can be heard from it.] "Come...accept.....end....choice." [These are the only words you're able to make out.]

What? *Primarina calls out to the voice, stopping at the edge of the abyss. After a moment of hesitation, she leans forward to look down into the vast emptiness.*

[Raidou keeps a stoic face, and he crouches down and looks down into the abyss.]

"Come, look into the abyss and question you sanity. Accept your own inhumane nature, the beast that lurks inside. What is "humanity" and "justice"? What is "power" and "freedom"? Do you have the answers? Doo you have what it takes to fight and risk everything until the very end?" [Hands and claws of different sizes come out of the abyss. Some lack fingers, and some move in a bizarre form, as if inverted. Their whole appearance is distorted. They appear to be waiting for them to jump onto them, to "catch" them. The ducks that once were there are now being hold by some of the hands, but there are others that are nothing but a bunch of meat and bones.] "To take the risk, is it your choice or someone else's?"

*Primarina gasps and backs away from the edge. Every instinct is telling her to run, but... Maybe this is the only way...* What do we do? *She asks Raidou this, almost too quietly to hear*

[Raidou scratches his cheek, and nods to Prim with a reassuring smile. He jumps onto the hand, reminding himself that this is for Kazuya.]

If you're sure... *Prim takes a deep breath and, after balancing on her tail for a moment, leaps down onto one of the hands. She shudders upon landing* This feels so... ugh.

[The hands, despite their almost repulsive appearance, hold them gently. You are able to feel some kind of motherly warmth as you slowly decent into the abyss, the hands making sure you are looking up. The mist subdues, as the sun shines an almost blinding light, making it hard for the pair to see anything. After a few seconds, they are unable to feel the hands, and instead feel a desk, and a chair. Their back to the classroom, and a loud bell can be heard. Their bodies are small, human for Prima, and they are wearing a run of the mild school uniform.] Raidou, Prima, did you not sleep well last night? It's really unusual for you to fall asleep like this... [The young Kazuya speaks to them with a gentle smile on his face.]

*Prima sits up and blinks, adjusting to her new surroundings* I... guess I didn't. Sorry about that. *She looks around the classroom. Still as she remembered it, although was class out already?*

[Raidou shakes his head to sort of alert himself as to what's going on. he looks up to Kazuya inquisitively, and stretches in his seat.]

You need to rest more, my mom says "Sleeping well is the fastest way to triumph". Even though sometimes it doesn't make much sense. [Kazuya keeps smiling and then turns to the clock on the top of the classroom.] Well, I don't have much to do today...and it's been months since we became friends, so... [The boy blushes, clearly embarrassed by this entire situation.] T-There is an Arcade close to home and right besides the subway, so... [Kazuya then just looks away with both eyes closed. Around the classroom, the bullies can be seen, but they clearly just avoid the trio, as the moment they seem them talking together, they look away and leave the classroom.]

An arcade? *Prima smiles at Kaz. She'd seen some around the Nexus, so she was at least a little familiar with the concept.* *Apparently, this was a few months after "last time."* That sounds fun! What do you think, Raidou? *She claps her hands and looks over at him*

[Raidou smiles, giving the two a single nod and standing up, clutching the bag Gouto was hiding in tight.]

Y-Yes, I can't thank you two enough. Let's go, I'll show you the way...! [Kazuya bows to them with a really bright smile and walks out of the classroom, gesturing them to follow him to the front foor of their school.] Oh! I don't think I told any of you, but some time ago my mom adopted a dog, his name is Pascal and used to be Mister Nakajima's. He is still a puppy though, but he's really nice to me and mom.

*Prima stands up and, after taking a moment to find her balance, begins to follow Kaz* A dog? What kind? *She was expecting the answer to be a pokémon but, as she soon reminds herself, dogs in Kaz's world were different.*

[Raidou smiles warmly at Kaz, both happy for the boy and happy to learn that that same dog will be an ally of Kaz's for a long time to come. Almost as if on cue at the mention of animals, Gouto pokes his head out of the top of Raidou's school bag and looks at the young Kazuya curiously.]

Well, he's... [Kazuya takes a moment to think about what kind of dog he is.] He is...special, he looks kind of like a wolf, but is also of color blue and white. I didn't know dogs could be blue, and according to mom, it's natural. [He laugh once more, but the moment he calms down, he returns to his usual gentle, reserved expression the moment he notices Gotou.] Raidou, you could get in trouble if you keep bringing him to class. I...would bring Pascal too but he's a little too big... [Kazuya pouts as he turns to Raidou.] I'm jealous you can take him with you anywhere and everywhere. How do you do that?

Sounds like a very pretty dog. *The description reminds Prima of a "shiny" pokémon. She'd actually heard legends of blue lycanrocs before... Maybe Pascal is the equivalent of that?* Well, anyways, we should get going before the arcade gets too crowded!

[Raidou makes something up about having Gouto for a long time, and that he's the family pet. He can tell he's going to pay for referring to the feline as a pet later, but he decides to just roll with it. He nods in response to Prim, and starts walking a bit faster.]

Yes, you're right Prima! And...well, I just hope Pascal stay around a long time! Maybe in a few months I'll be able to go out with him, you know, when he's older. [Kazuya chuckles as they finally make it outside. They can see a small alleyway to the right with a really strange aura of color purple. Someone appears to be waiting there. It's only a shadow, but it appears to have a rose in the chest, and a ornamented cap. While to the left, they can see multiple cars and people walking around. Next to where they are, Yuriko can be seen. She is taller than they are, and appears to be at least one or two years older than them. She appears to look at them from time to time, especially at Kazuya.]

*Prima pauses, noticing the shadow. Should she investigate? No, she's already falling behind. She makes a mental note to check it out later and runs to catch up with the others. She gives a small smile to Yuriko as she sees them in the crowd*

[Raidou gives Yuriko a quick bow, and decides he'll check the shadow thing out himself. At least, he was going to. He realizes Prim is still new at this, and since it's just the two of them this time he decides it'd be for the best to stay as a group. Raidou puts on a cheerful front and steps inside the arcade, gesturing for the two to follow him.]

[A sinister can be heard from the alleyway as the shadows disappear in a crimson flame. No one but the two of them are able to hear it, but Yuriko's expression changes, turning to the alleyway for a moment before just going back to staring at the group with a smile.] Yes Raidou! [Kazuya follows the boy with the cap with a smile. Inside the place called "Arcade Town", they find two different paths. A lot of people are walking around and a lot of different stores are open, of different kinds.] I...I thought this was just a big arcade...that's why my mom gave me directions... [Kazuya mutters as his eyes are wide open, looking around the place with some anxiety.] I'm very sorry, but I'm sure there is an arcade somewhere around here...I...I just don't know where... [They have a hallway to their left, and another directly in front of them. Close-by they are able to see a café. Nothing similar to an "Arcade" can be seen from the entrance, and there are no signs around. Most people walkign around appear to be old or just adults in general.] W-What do we do now...?

Um... *The crowd is a bit overwhelming to Prima, even after spending a while in the Nexus. And it's mostly adults here, and usually younger people frequented arcades...* Maybe we could check out the café? Or we could try wandering down the halls. There may not be an arcade, but who knows what else could be here?

[Raidou scratches his cheek, and just decides to nod in agreement with Prim. He doesn't really know what to look for in an arcade, so he figures that he'll take this one by the seat of his pants.]

M-Maybe we should ask around...? Where do we go first...? [Kazuya looks at the three different path in front of him, not knowing what to do at all. He just looks at his two friends slightly anxious. He looks down, considering the different options and thinking about what Prima just said about there not being an Arcade at all.] But...Mom said that there was one around here...

Well... Maybe it's not in sight. With such a big area, it might be tucked away somewhere. Let's see... *She looks between the two paths, then nods* Let's try the hallway ahead first, then try the other one if we can't find anything.

[Raidou pats his young friend on the shoulder and suggests they go to the cafe for directions first, besides it was a long day and he's sure the group could use some refreshments.]

...Right, that might be best. *She nods at Raidou. Maybe her idea was a bit rushed*

[Kazuya looks at them, confused.] I-I understand Raidou's suggestion and Prima has a good idea... [Kazuya looks at the entrance and then the left hallway.] Maybe we should split up...? We can just comeback here in a few minutes...? [He then looks at Prima's sudden change in opinion and nods.] W-Well, now that that's decided...! [Kazuya walks forward towards the cafe. The moment they step in, a waitress greets them and kneels down to face Kazuya.] Waitress: "Oh, it's been a while since the last time I saw you Kazuya, how is your mom doing? [The woman takes notices of both Prima and Raidou, and stands up smiling at them.] Waitress: "And you brought your friends too? I've been wanting to meet them, with so much your mom says you speak of them. I'm Suzume Toho, but you can call me Suzu. It's a pleasure to meet you." [The woman bows to them. After this, she makes a quick gesture so they follow her to an empty table with 4 chairs.] Waitress: "Order anything, but remember your mom will have to pay for it later, so don't go overboard, okay?" [As the woman leaves, Kazuya just nods in silence and sits down.] So...I've been meaning to ask you two... Why...did you help me that day?

It's nice to meet you as well. *Prima bows slightly to Suzu, then sits down at the table. She blinks in surprise at Kazuya's question, then begins tracing a circle on the table with her finger* Well... we couldn't exactly let them do that to you, right? They were a scary group, but I couldn't just let you get hurt... *Sure, it was for the "mission" at the time, but the true objective of the mission never crossed her mind until it was all over. In the moment, she was just concerned about her friend* ooc: food time, will nom fast

[Raidou was looking over the menu when he stopped at Kazuya's words. He arches one eyebrow at the boy, before setting the menu down and looking him in the eye.] "Kazuya. I don't need any special reason to want to help someone in need. I've spent my whole life being raised to do that. Saving people from the threats they can't stop on their own. It's what I do in life; you were in need so I helped you." [It's a bit hard for Gouto to tell if his partner is keeping up the elementary schooler charade, or maybe being entirely serious. Either way the cat closes his eyes in approval at Raidou's mini-speech.]

That sounds like something a hero would say... Like...those from the tv... [Kazuya looks down at the menu once more, and decides he would order a piece of chocolate cake. He is thinking at what his friends told him. "How many other kids my age would ask something so weird?", and "But they never did anything before..." were thought crossing his mind. But he just shakes his head, trying to get them away. He then lifts his head up and looks at Prima.] Hey, Prima? I'm...curious now, your name doesn't sound japanese at all, from where is...? [Kazuya is interrupted as a girl older than them sits on the remaining chair. Her hair is straight, black. Her face was adorned by a devious smile and her eyes where of a blue color. She holds a book of occultism and places it on the table as she makes herself comfortable.] Yuriko: "I didn't expect any of you to be here, who knew you came to the place I frequent, Raidou, Prima?" [Yuriko then looks at Kazuya with a really obvious interest. She points at him and giggles.] Yuriko: "And what is the name of this little one? I've never seen him around." [Kazuya looks at his friends with a strange feeling, and then turn to Suzu, so she can take their orders.] ...I'm...Kazuya...

[Raidou seems to have said his piece and has gone back to his usual stoic attitude. He nods to Yuriko as she sits down, and introduces Kazuya to her as his friend from school. He also not-so subtly points out that they both like occult things. Afterwards he turns to Suzu and requests a a soda, as for the flavor he decides to leave it to her.]

*Prima has a brief moment of panic at the mention of her name. Right, it wasn't a name like the others around here, and she doubted Alola existed here... thankfully, she's saved from answering by the surprise appearance of the girl she saw earlier* Oh, hello there. *Prima smiles at Yuriko, then orders to not keep Suzu waiting. Since she's not used to human drinks, she just asks for water*

[Yuriko giggles at Kazuya's sudden shyness, as well as the fact that he appears to like the occult too.] Yuriko: "Ah~ Kazuya likes the occult, huh? You should've let me now sooner, anyone interested in the occult is my friend." [Suzu then takes their orders and looks at Yuriko.] Suzu: "Are you one of Kazuya's friends too, Yuriko? I didn't know, what do I get you?" Yuriko: "Oh~, it's okay Suzu. I'm actually a little busy today, so I just came by the moment I saw my friends go in." Suzu: "Well, if you need anything just call me, okay?" [Yuriko nods and Suzu is going back to the kitchen. The girl keeps looking directy at Kazuya, who just keeps looking at the table with a slight blush on his cheeks.] Yuriko: "So, what brought you all here today? I didn't think you were the kind of kid that enjoyed this stuff. Most kids just go to the park to play or the arcade if they have the money."

We heard there was an arcade in the area, so we came to ask for directions. But I'm glad for this little detour. It feels nice in here. *Indeed, the café has an odd charm to it. Maybe it's the smell of coffee, or the sense of having a cozy space to relax. Prima puts both arms on the table, with one hand under her chin as she waits for a reply*

[Raidou sheepishly hides his eyes with the bill of his hat, seemingly embarrassed to admit they got a tad lost.]

Yuriko: "So, you got lost? That's fine, I can just show you guys the way if you like." [She says this, but keeps looking at Kazuya.] If...that's okay with you, yes, we would like that...Yuriko... [Kazuya just blushes more as he says her name. And she claps her hands with excitement. Suzu is now back with their orders, giving Prima her water, Raidou an Amirita Soda, while Kazuya gets his piece of chocolate cake. Suzu bows to them and looks at Kazuya.] Suzu: "I'll give your mom a call and tell her you around here and tell her what you kids ordered. Say hi to her for me, Kazuya!" [Suzu is then gone, as she in now taking the orders of other costumers.] Yuriko: "Now then, I'll be waiting for you outside while you finish your things. Don't make a lady wait~" [Yuriko then stands up and leaves the table, as well as the cafe. But leaves her book on the table, opened.] You guys seriously didn't want anything else...? [As soon as Yuriko leaves, Kazuya calms down and eats his cake slowly, with care. And now that he's looking up, he points at the book on the table with a fork.] What is that? Was it Yuriko's?

[Raidou, through sips of his soda points to the pentagram-like symbols in the book and ponders if Kazuya recognizes any of them.]

Should we bring it to her? *Prima sets down her water and leans forward, trying to examine the page. She normally can't read, but maybe this new form would allow her to understand the words on the page. Or not. Who knows with magic?*

Huh...? That's a tetragrammaton...Mister Nakajima said those are used to summon demons from a place called..."The Expanse", or "Makai". But that was only in myths of old... [Kazuya has eaten half of the cake by now. The book itself is written in the language of the demons, and so, it's improbable anyone knew how to read it there except for Raidou. Right now the page where he is in says "Summoning methods", with different drawing of alchemy circles and symbols, different kinds of tetragrammaton. It also mentions portals, sacrifices, Magnetite, "Summoning tubes", even the Kuzunoha themselves.]

From myths? *The idea was strange, yet she'd seen enough strangeness to believe it. Besides, myths came true even in her world: the arrivals of the legendaries of the sun and moon, and even the Order Pokémon, Zygarde... She sips her water as she falls deep in thought*

[Raidou suddenly becomes very interested in the book, and begins flipping through pages and taking in the listed information. Now Kazuya's talent as a Devil Summoner made sense, he had been raised around this stuff. Granted, not trained in the same capacity as Raidou himself, but much more so than anyone else Raidou had met. Now he was very interested in meeting this Nakajima fellow, and asks Kazuya if there's anyway he can talk to this guy.]

Yes, myths. Some myths make mention of different demons, and even talk about a world where they all live. Even if they are from another realm, they can still come to our with certain conditions... A tetragrammaton is one of the many things used to summon them...but, demons aren't real, so... I just read about this stuff for fun...! [Kazuma laughs at his own likes, still eating his cake but almost done with it. He turns to Raidou.] Hmm? Mister Nakajima...? He lives close to the center of Tokyo, so he lives pretty far away...besides, he is a high schooler now. If you want to meet him, I could try sending him a letter, he writes to me from time to time and also sends to me some images about tetragrammatons. He says he's been working on...something, kind of like an experiment. [Kazuya's eyes shine for a moment.]

Wonder what that experiment is... *Prima stares at the strange images in the book... then shakes her head, suddenly remembering something* Oh, right, we need to give this back to her. Don't want to keep her waiting.

[Raidou nods and stands up, wiping the leftover soda from his face. He picks up the book, and urges the two to follow him out.]

I do too, he said he managed to contact a friend, called "Ker...Ce...boros...." or something like that. [Kazuya shrugs and finishes his cake and stands up, leaving the cafe as he waves Suzu goodbye. Outside, Yuriko appears to be waiting for them. To the right of them is the Left Hallway to where the girl is pointing.] Yuriko: "The arcade is that way, the place at the end of it." [Looking at the end of the hallway, they are able to notice a place named "Wild Gunman's Arcade". There is also a door leading to shop called "Stairway". The door itself is covered in a purple mist.] Yuriko: "What are you kids waiting for? C'mon, let's go before more little kids get here, or worse, old geeks." [The girl giggles.]

[Raidou laughs nervously at her joke, the thought of fighting off a few creeps without his weapons and as a child is not one he wants to entertain. As they walk, he stops in front of Stairway and stares at the door, almost entranced by the mist.]

*The purple mist again. It's a motif too prominent to ignore. But how to create an excuse to check it out... Especially since they spent so long trying to get the arcade...^ Hey, Raidou, didn't you mention needing something from there? *She points at the misty door* You can get it now, if you want, while Kazuya and I play something. Besides, a lot of the games seem to be for two players, and you shouldn't take long.

Is that true, Raidou? Well...we will be at the arcade, so come and find us as soon as possible...! I'm sure there are games that use those...revolvers! [Yuriko laughs at Kazuya enthusiasm as he walks in a fast pace towards the arcade. She then turns to Prima.] Yuriko: "I helped you kids out, may I have my book back, pretty please?" ----- [The door itself looks normal besides, obviously, the purple mist. The door turns transparent for a few moment, and on the other side a well dressed man with a cap could be seen, with a notebook on his hand. The door is back to normal, but Raidou feels as if he was being both invited...and questioned.]

[Raidou grits his teeth. It's that Melbourne bastard. He braces himself, and opens the door ready to brave what might be waiting on the other side.]

Alright! But- *She pauses for a moment.* ...Raidou has it, doesn't he. I'll be right back! *She runs up to him, possibly entering should he be far enough into the room* Hey, Raidou! Mind if I grab that book?

[The moment Raidou opens the door and steps through, the entire world turns into white for him, with nothing but a golden stairway in front of him, leading to nowhere. Luckily and before the door closes itself, Prima gets to see what was happening as well. The door behind them is now gone.]

Huh? *Prima glances behind herself, only to see a pure white area. No door.* It's gone... Looks like the only path is up. *Prima puts one foot on the steps, waiting for a moment before continuing upwards. Whatever this place was, it certainly wasn't a store.*

Akira wasn't much of a superstitious man but when he heard there was a small altar at a park offering a chance of hopefulness in the near future he couldn't resist. The park had been on his mind all morning during school and when the dismissal bell came, he didn't miss a second and found his feet taking him to the park. He noticed some other people gathered at the park as well but he didn't pay them any mind. Now in front of the altar, Akira clapped his hands together in silent prayer. "Whatever God is out there, please... Get the fucking normies out of this forum. If I see one more Jake Paul meme I'm going to kill myself. Please... I need my faith in humanity again before I plunge all of Japan into a dark pit of hell."

OOC: Amen.

ooc: A man concerned for the future of our society

[Raidou shakes his head, promising to himself that he'll return the book later. He motions for Prim to follow, and goes up the steps.]

"Was it your own will that led you here?" [As they go up the stairs without an apparent end, they hear this almost angelical voice. The white around them becomes brighter than before, even the book appears to vanish.]

T-technically yes... *Prima continues up the stairs, squinting to see through the bright light. She nearly trips over the stairs a few times, but she's making steady progress.* I just came here to get something from Raidou, but... I would have come here anyway, most likely. *A bit specific, but it didn't hurt to overthink this, right?*

[Raidou remains silent, clutching the book as tightly as he can. He feels around on his back a bit, just to make sure Gouto is still there as he walks.]

[The color white and the brightness covers everything, and a blinding light can be seen up ahead, not quite close, not quite far. You are in the middle. The book begins to burn under the divine light.] "Curious or not, one should not stray from the path. You were ordered to kill an individual important to you for the sake of hundreds, even thousands of lives. What is your choice?"

[Raidou's hand jerks from the heat, and he drops the smoldering tome to the ground. Without demons to assist, he's without many options but to leave it where it is. He sighs, promising to find some way to pay Yuriko back, and keeps walking toward the light. Raidou has resisted the whispers of demons before, he's not about to succumb now.]

*Primarina closes her eyes, partly from the light and partly from the question I... Logically, it would be best to... *Mathematically, it was an easy question.* but... I couldn't do it... *She admits this with a sigh. Soft as ever.^

[Nothing can be seen anymore as you ascend to the icon of law, not even the stairway leading you to heaven.] “If one truly believes in something, they must be ready to die for it. Would you die for the sake of others?” [They have reached the light, and are now presented with a choice. A wooden door with a sign reading “Final Stretch” can be seen on one side, but on the other, a pair of guillotines.]

Die for the sake of others...? *She steps back at the sight of the guillotines* So... we're choosing with our actions this time?

[Raidou stops walking, pressing a hand on his chin in thought. Either way this seems like an obvious trap. However, in a demon's domain, which this most likely was, you listen to what the demon says or you die. Especially in the body of a child. Raidou steps toward the guillotine, takes off his hat, and gets down on his knees. Seems he's going to just bite the bullet.]

Raidou... *Raidou doesn't seem nearly as terrified as she does. Sure, she wants to protect others, but dying is... She tries to shake the thought away as she heads to the guillotine beside Raidou. She can't let him face this alone.* I'm scared... *The words come out without her even realizing it, even as she's in position for the guillotine to strike*

[Raidou looks up at the massive blade, even he can't help but gulp at the sight of it. He knows how demons are though, it's usually their way or no way at all.]

"You choose to take give away your life. This will not be forgotten." [They can hear a ticking sound, a clock counting down. And after a few minutes full of tension...the blade fall. Before the blade can even get to them, they are surrounded by a bright light. Both of them find themselves walking around a residential area alongside Kazuya. The sun is setting and the day is getting close to the end. The boy in front of them is smiling as they get closer and closer to his home.] I had a lot of fun with the two of you, we really should do this more often…when there is time anyway.

*Prima lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. After taking a moment to compose herself, she smiles at Kaz* M-me too! We should definitely do this again sometime! *She's smiling cheerfully, but it seems more out of relief and... to hide something else. But the least she can do right now is put on a happy act for Kaz*

[Raidou opens his eyes, and drops to his knees from exhaustion. His eyes have to adjust to the dim light in comparison to the white room they were just in. Even with his experience in these sorts of events, he's sweating bullets.]

[Kazuya smiles at Prima but turns around to face Raidou, kneeling in front of him the moment he sees him collapse.] R-Raidou! Are you okay...?

[Raidou regains his composure, somewhat. He stands shakily, and nods to Kazuya with a brave-looking smile. He suggests they hurry home, and starts walking in the direction they were going before.]

*Prima reaches out to help Raidou up, but he manages to stand up before she can do so* He... should be fine. I'll keep an eye on him in case it happens again, alright? *She speaks with that same fake cheerfulness. First step to acting, as her mother always told her: channel the emotion, and become that emotion. That advice is literally the only thing keeping her going at this point.*

Yes, I trust you...! [The young boy laughs with joy, nodding at both of his friends. They see a truck in front of the place they were walking to. Some workers were moving big boxes inside the house right besides Kazuya. In the front door, a woman and a blue puppy are looking at the new family moving in. The puppy then gets a familiar scent, and it turns around, running at Kazuya. The boy kneels and pets his small dog with a smile while the woman walks up to the group of kids.] Hey there Pascal…! Mom: “Oh, Kazuya you’re back! And they must be your friends, Raidou and Prima, right?” [The woman bows to them with a gentle, warm smile to them.] Mom: “Thank you very much for taking care of my son, he is a bit of a weird kid but he’s nice on the inside.” [Kazuya blushes at this and just looks up at his mom.] Mom… don’t say that…!

No problem! We should probably get going now, though, since it's getting late. Don't want our own parents to get worried. *Prima waves at them, although leaves any extra talking to Raidou. She just wants to get out of this "adventure" quickly*

[Raidou bows to Kazuya's mother with a smile, and then bends down to pet the young Pascal. "If only you could know what's ahead for you and this boy." he thinks to himself.]

[Pascal barks at Raidou with glee as he is being pet by him. Kazuya’s mom laughs and Kazuya stands up. A car arrives to the scene and two adults step out of it.] Mom: “Oh, they are back! Kaz, they are our new neighbors, the Takahara family.” [She points at a man and a woman.] Mom: “Soichiro and his wife Maki. They bought it just a few days ago and finally got here.” Soichiro: “Thanks Miss Yasuo.” Maki: “It’s a pleasure to meet you, child.” [They bow to each other, but Kazuya is clearly nervous at the sight of new people.] Maki: “Yuka! Come out and say hi already! She’s our daughter, about the same age as you, Kazuya.” [Kazuya looks up now to the back of the newly arrived car, and from it a girl with brown, long hair steps out. Her eyes are gray just like Kazuya’s, but, for someone so young, she keeps an oddly serious expression, in contrast to Kazuya’s shy and reserved expression. ] Soichiro: “This is Miss’ Yasuo son, Kazuya. Say hi to him!” [Yuka walks up to them and looks up to face Kazuya. And the moment their eyes meet, the world itself stops right on its track. The entire world around Prim and Raidou turns black, with nothing but Kazuya and Yuka facing each other in a big void. Yuka, without moving, is dragged into the darkness behind of her, and as soon as she beings to disappear into the distance, Kazuya runs to her, trying to catch up. The pair are unable to move as the darkness transform in a long, decayed hallway with grass growing from the cracks on the floor, and moss on the cracks of the wall. The lighting in the area, while unnatural, is enough for them to see a door with a big face plastered on it.] "This the end, go through the last door and everything will be over for now." [Melbourne tells them from somewhere.]

Th... there it is... *With her "audience" gone, Prima collapses onto her hands and knees, shaking violently* We did it... *All the repressed stress finally flows over as her body shudders*

[Raidou looks around, not knowing what exactly is going on. Raidou reaches out to touch Kazuya. He stays his hand though, curses Melbourne under his breath and walks toward the door.]

I'm coming... *Prima manages to stumble to her feet, and she slowly follows Raidou*

[After minutes of walking to the door, they finally make it there.] "Who dares attempt to pass this place!" [The voice appears to come from the door in front of them.] "He who does not state his name shall not pass!" [There is a seconds long silence, followed by the door speaking again] "Thou sayest that thou art Kazuya, I see…beyond this door lies an unknown existence, a reality with a faint balance. Order and Chaos are two forces that should never be defied and are about to clash. Thou who seeks the truth, doing a noble act, and thou who bows before me with humblelity” [The door opens up, revealing a bright light for just a moment, before the park at the other side is revealed.. The bench, the pond…everything is where it should be. And standing between the real world and the pair is a young man wearing mostly green, and a COMP on his left arm. He waves at them with a smile.] Hey!

Ka... zuya? *Human or pokémon, it doesn't matter. Primarina rushes over to the demon summoner with a smile. Her heart's still pounding, but that doesn't matter, either* You're back!

[Raidou smiles and steps through the doorway. He smiles at Kazuya, making everything worth it in his eyes. He gives him a tired wave and chuckles a little.]

[He gives Prima a curious look as she is still looking like a human.] Yeah, I'm sorry I was gone for so long...I guess I got a little "lost" there! [Kazuya laughs while rubbing the back of his head, heading to the real world at last.] Prim, Master Kuzunoha, you two will go back to normal the moment you go out. Sorry for all the trouble you had to face because of me...I will explain everything another time, when you two rest, at least for a bit. [He bows to them before stepping out.]