Welcome to Gaia! ::

Sorina blushed over the comment, feeling slightly embarrassed about saying it was crisp. "I meant that It tastes better than the store bought-" as the other guest fell in on them.
"It does seem like that." she quietly took a bite of the apple again. Her eye glanced over across from them. She noticed a person in a cloak turning and vanishing.
"Nahumar?" She quietly asked herself as her gaze was stuck in that area.
"I will be right back." Sorina said as she ran off into the building she saw the man.

"Nahumar. I was looking for you all day." the man turned around. His face not visible at all.
"Hm?" he turned to face her.
"Umm...I wanted to always thank you for helping me. I have grown fond of Hana and you that I wanted to say this for over a few weeks..." Sorina was fiddling with her hands. The pressure. Nahumar looked at her and waited.
"Nahumar...I think we should take another step and begin a relationship!" Sorina proudly said.
Nahumar looked at her still....
Then he smiled....
And he chuckled...
That built into a laugh.
"Hahahaha! Y-you love me?! Are you an idiot?" Sorina's eyes widen with shock at his reaction.
"Listen Sorina. You are a nice girl, but you are weak. Pathetic. Always in need of someone to help you. Crying about nearly everything. You are just a worthless woman who would cry about everything." His attitude...His way of speaking to her...
"You're not normal Nahumar..." Sorina did her best to hide her tears as she fell to her knees. Nahumar knelt before her and tilted her head upward by the chin.
"But this is the real me. Soon, I will have all four of the cards and the realm beyond that gate will be mine to command." he turned and started to walk off.
"...Oh. If it wasn't for that weak personality, I would of done all sorts of things to your body by now." he walked off and left Sorina alone.

Tears began to drip from her cheeks on the floor. Her sobbing was quiet yet had so much pain. Her heart ached.
"What happened...Nahumar..." She couldn't face anyone at this point. She was a beautiful and frail flower at this point. Her color fading as she let her emotion out. A maiden of sorrow. Her cards do indeed reflect who she is. She needed someone to cry on now.
"Nahumar..."



As Nahumar was at the waiting point to fight Byakuren...another student came up. She of course knew of what he did to his own sister and she eventually dueled Nahumar. The fight was pretty long but only because Nahumar held back. In time, he would of secured the victory over the student with a large backpack and weird goggles.
"Come on. You don't have any of the Gate Cards, let alone good ones. And what the hell is a Sea Cucumber anyways?" Nahumar dissed her cards as she walked away. No real pain unlike what Hanalli suffered. Would it mean that if one fought with all their might, they could really hurt themselves?

Byakuren gasped as her lasers were sent back at her. She attempted to dodge them, but was struck on her arm. She cringed, her lotuses falling apart and disappearing. Byakuren's health bar was almost at the half way point now. She decided to try something new now. "Spell card," Byakuren began, Uhh... Superhuman "Byakuren Hijiri"!" She finished. This was one of the spell cards that Hana was shown. Hana said that Byakuren could have been a superhero, or something along those lines.

Byakuren felt a powerful energy coming over her and she noticed that she was glowing. She felt energized, renewed, like she could run a thousand miles without pause (which she probably could). Byakuren dashed forward, leavingb behind her a trail of light blue. She did this again and again and again, forming numerous lines in the air which, after a few seconds, all flew apart into many blue orbs. Byakuren pulled back, as if about to start a race, prepared to do it once more.



Yumi couldn't say anything for a moment. She was right by the scary gardener. Oh, this youkai student was rumored to be afraid of nothing, but many people feared her. Yuuka asked her if she was either there to see the show or if she was further entertainment. "N-no! I'm not entertainment, I-I was just walking past!" Yumi stuttered. She couldn't help but wonder why Yuuka and the love-struck girl were together right now. Were they friends?

Sorina ran off after seeing Nahumar, or what Yumi could only assume was Nahumar. Yumi pulled herself up and sat on the ground near Yuuka. "That girl... why does she love him so much...?" Yumi mumbled as she looked in the direction that Sorina had run off in. "Maybe other people just fall in love easier then me..." Yumi mumbled again. She would have followed up with "Maybe she's just too blinded by her own fantasies to see." if Yuuka hadn't been there. Yumi realized that she had been speaking, or rather mumbling, aloud the whole time, so Yuuka must have heard that last bit. Yumi's face began to turn red. "N-not that I'm in love, or even want to be in love yet! I-I'm just saying!" Yumi stuttered, trying to defend herself. Poor Yumi.



Lucy appeared to be really excited about the game, wondering why some of her cards were blank, wanting to do things like the other four were, etc. She even said that Rose wanted to play, which she did kind of. Maria seemed to be for the idea too, which excited Rose a little bit. "Why don't we find somewhere to do it, then?" Rose asked them, getting to her feet. "We could try the gymnasium, maybe, or even the other side of the school." Rose pointed out. She then proceeded to bend down and put her stuff back in her backpack before putting it back on her... well, back. "We could try a three-way battle! ... If that's possible..." Rose added.

Sorina finally found the strength to stand up and walk back to the group only...she had to play her emotions to show she was not sadden by what happened. Instead, she kept her pain inside.
"Sorry about that. It was not Nahumar." she said, taking a spot near the group and looking at Yuuka.
"What did I miss?" she asked. Her expression seemed so neutral yet it was a farce to contain what happened for real. She had to fool people and not cause any more trouble as to Nahumar at all...until.
"Are you Sorina?" a boy asked her. She was at first afraid but she had to open up.
"Yes I am...what happened?" she asked.
"It's Hanalli. She got into some weird fight like those girls over there and seems to be really hurt!" Sorina heard and stood up, running ahead to the infirmary to meet Hanalli.
"Hey Wait! Man...that girl is weird." he said then promptly walked off.
Sorina would arrive yet sit next to Hanalli's bedside to see when she would wake up. No signs of physical damage but Sorina would know that Hanalli's spirit could of been hurt from it.
"Nahumar...did you do this to your own sister?"


Nahumar at this time, kept and eye on everyone from the roof. His presence unknown yet as he tried to think of a way to get the cards.
"Two Cards left...One of Spring and one of Summer. Perhaps that Yuuka girl has one of them. Her cards talk about flowers usually. That means besides Byakuren and possibly Yuuka...one more card remains." he spoke to himself quietly and waiting for his chance to strike.

Rose followed close behind Lucy and Maria as the kendo captain lead the way to the gymnasium. Once they were coming to the doors Rose took the lead and pushed them open, with some difficulty. The gym was empty, so they would be able to play here. "Hmm... I wonder if anyone else played here... It seems like such a good area for this game; no people here, large space..." Rose thought aloud. Rose put her backpack on the ground and began to rummage through it for her cards. Once she had them in hand she held them up and looked at them. "Well... now what...?" She asked Maria and Lucy.



Byakuren gasped as Nora appeared before her and smashed her into the ground. The tennis player left a crack on the ground where she hit. She stood back up to see her HP bar dropping to about one quarter. She sighed; this game was difficult. "I'm not giving up!" Byakuren said, spiritedly. She jumped into the air and activated a spellcard. "Great Magic "Devil's Recitation"!" She called out. Behind her appeared a colorful seal adorn with four lotus blossoms.

Byakuren descended a little ways towards the ground and from the lotus blossoms bursted four red beams of energy, striking the ground and propelling Byakuren further upwards. Once she was high enough, her beams stopped and many many blue bullets flew from the lotuses, all in a sort of serpentine pattern. Byakuren held her hands forward and began to fire large, red spheres at Nora. White orbs began to form in the air as well, all falling to the earth.

After a few more seconds, Byakuren would hold one of her hands upward and send a wave of white orbs upwards that would soon fall down in a diagonal path to the earth. There was more to her spell, but only time will tell if the rest can be told of.



Yumi heard Yuuka call Sorina an annoying girl. It also turned out that Yuuka had heard Yumi's mumbling and proceeded to tell Yumi about her outlook on the subject. Afterwards, Yuuka told Yumi to forget what she said, threatening to turn her into fertilizer if she didn't do so. Yumi was startled, but then she began to question the idea. "Fine, I will forget about it, but first I want to know why." Yumi said to the Horrifying Terrifying scary gardener. "Why do you want me to forget that speech? It was quite true; at least I thought so." Yumi was mentally praying that the gardener would not try to dismantle her.

Yumi sighed and was about to stand up when Sorina came back. She said that it was not Nahumar she saw and asking what she missed. Yumi thought it best not to question this love-struck girl, so she decided to answer her. "Oh, you hardly missed anything worth whil-" Yumi was cut off as a man approached and told something to Sorina about a girl named Hanalli. Sorina left the scene, the man calling her weird. Yumi heaved another sigh. "Life here has no gotten any easier since these cards showed up." Yumi mumbled to herself, not caring if Yuuka heard her or not. "It can't be a coincidence, I don't believe that it can be at all."

Nahumar patiently waited...and waited...until he had enough. If he was not going to get his challenge then he would seek it out. He walked through the halls down to the ground level and over to where he noticed Yuuka. He at least knew the closer he could get with his card, the reaction should show she had one. However, he kept the hood over his face for the time.
"Excuse me miss Yuuka. I require your assistance over by the garden." he didn't even try to hide his image or face that well. Sure enough he noticed the glow in her deck. He was right to choose this target now than anyone else. He would wait for her reply before either guiding her to the large garden or stay and force her to fight there.
"So she has one indeed...If I can't get the Autumn one now then I might as well gather what I can to hasten my process. Soon, I will have the land beyond the door and this one as well."

Rose watched as her two friends' appearances changed. Suddenly, her own appearance began to change as well, the same gust of wind too. Her clothes began to change into something quite odd, something a cosplayer would wear. Her bangs stretched downwards towards her chest. She then felt a sort of coldness and the feeling of electricity running through her. And calculations. Calculations began to run through her mind as she stood there and looked at her friends. Was she... trying to make strategies in order to defeat them? Rose placed both of her hands on her head and gave it a shake, trying to distract herself from that strategy thinking mind. "M-my, don't we look weird, huh?" Rose asked Lucy and Maria, trying to distract herself further.

Suddenly, five card slots appeared before her and she felt as though she already knew what to do. She then began to sift through her cards, looking for five of them to choose for this game.



Yumi frowned as Yuuka said not to mind that pointless topic of love. Yumi's heart really wanted love, but Yumi's mind wanted peace. "Hmm, I guess you're right; it kind of is pointless..." Yumi said, repeating the gardener.

Yuuka seemed to like the cards, in a creepy way. "But they're so destructive-" Yumi cut herself off as she realized something; Yuuka knew about these cards too (and heard her mumbling again, but that's besides the point). Yumi quickly changed her thoughts, as to not seem confused or scared. "O-oh. sorry, I thought I saw someone I knew."" Yumi lied. "This cards... do bring a certain power with them..." Yumi said, thinking about her cards, placing her hand on her satchel, over top of where they rested.

A boy appeared before Yuuka and Yumi, requesting for Yuuka's assistance over by the garden. Yumi looked over to Yuuka. "Are you going to go and check this out?" She asked the gardener. Yumi had actually intended to follow, well, morel like sneak after. Kind of like stalking...



Byakuren gasped as she saw Noraneko coming her way. The lasers in her attack activated, but they would be useless against this delinquent now that she activated a timeout spellcard. Byakuren was grabbed out of the air, her spellcard being forced to end. Nora began to attacking Byakuren using her fists, so Byakuren did her best to defend herself. Her defenses was not as strong as Nora's attacks, as her HP bar was slowly dropping into a smaller and smaller line of red. "It will be up to you now, Reimu!" Byakuren called to her partner as she wrestled with the delinquent. "Keep away from her!"

For Byakuren's final move, she attempted to grab Nora by the shoulders and perform a move that would her hurt, probably more than Nora. If she was able to get Nora's shoulders, she'd pull back her head and slam her forehead down against the top of the delinquent's. She knew that this girl wouldn't be hurt by this, as she was able to go unscathed through her spellcard, but she hoped that it would t least disorient Nora enough to help Reimu.

With the headbutt, Byakuren's HP fell to zero and she fell down. If Nora was not hit by the headbutt, however, Byakuren would eventually just lose the rest of her HP and lose anyway.

Lucy stood and watched as her fellow classmates underwent transformations of their own. Naturally, she kept a closer eye on Maria's first. As the once-journalist's great, black wings flexed and expanded, Lucy felt a very sudden and strong urge to touch them, however, she decided to be good and simply stood in place, deck raised, and holding her grin.

Rose's transformation was just as awesome (in the original meaning of the word), and the appearance she took on secretly excited Lucy nearly as much as Maria's wings did! "W-Wow, Rose! You look like you just came back from a convention! (Do you go to any?)" Lucy asked absently, trying to keep her urges from taking over.

Before she could think of anything else to say, she too was suddenly met with the five empty panels arranged before her. Two of the card slots shook slightly and turned red, before bursting into magical dust, leaving Lucy with only three available slots. "H... HEY! No fair!" Lucy pouted, stomping her foot. Not losing her determination, however, she quickly opted to choose her three spell cards from her small deck, the remaining of which disappeared as her choice was locked in.

"Okay, ready!"


====


Reimu landed somewhere behind Hazumi's prone form, her attack having been launched successfully. She realized, however, there seemed to be a sort of limit on the amount of magic she was allowed to expend at once, for at the moment she felt no lighter than normal, and the feeling of being able to produce magic had somewhat dwindled.

As such, Reimu could only turn and spectate for the moment it took Noraneko to attack Byakuren, and the latter's attempted sacrifice. Reimu knew that the tennis player was done for, so she could only hope that her final act would deter Nora long enough for her own magical ability to return to its fullest; otherwise, she'd be done for, too.

Reimu stood still, straightening her body. She clasped her hands together and bowed her head - one could say it looked like she was praying. In truth, she was giving an attempt to quiet her soul, allowing her magical faculties a quicker recovery...


====


"The garden..?" The sudden intrusion into her thoughts startled Yuuka, though her shock lessened as she turned her head to view the intruder. "Ah... the boy from before. I believe your girlfriend just went to check on your sister."

Yuuka stood, smoothing out her skirt. She knew the simple request wasn't so simple, but that didn't matter to her in the slightest. "Of course, whatever may I assist you with?" Yuuka glanced at Yumi momentarily, giving the smaller girl a smile. "Be a dear and watch my things, will you?" With that, she would follow Nahumar to the garden...

"Nice outfit Rose!" Maria chuckled and looked through her own deck. Her wings half retucked as she shuffled through the cards and picked five to press into the slots that appeared before her.

That done Maria undid the buckle from her back and tied the sword at her waist before clapping,"You guys all set? Who shall begin?.... Maybe you should- since you only got to pick three cards for some weeeeird reason, Lucy!"

---
Noraneko was more than happy with her attack on Byakuren; she didn't stop even as the tennis player took her shoulders and headbutted her. She continued to beat the HP right out of Byakuren.

It wasn't till she backed off that she realized she was dazed. She took her head for a split second trying to breath it off like when She'd get into a fight and get hit. Still holding her head she turned and grinned as Reimu, an orange eyes blazing."You're next~"

Despite the slight dizziness she dashed head on with her timer depleting every passing second. Because of the Headbutt she was tilted a bit to the left, so Reimu had a small advantage if she moved right.

If Nora managed to tackle Reimu she'd suplex her right into the floor; if she missed, however, she would run straight into the magic barrier and flinch out of her own impact.


----

All the news where somewhat disturbing. Sage, a just recently transferred student, hadn't expected all this excitement on her first week in campus. Right now she was far from most of the student body, sitting in between two trees in the dirt with her arms crossed on her knees, eyes closed as she pensively went over fast-firing and mostly unrelated facts.

The only reason this cards and ensuing chaos concerned and worried her was because she too had cards, as did her younger sister, Myriam.

Additionally, She knew she would meet the Kendo Captain. Even if Maria didn't remember her, she already knew her from competitions; Sage had captained her own school's team. Once the captain saw her, she'd surely remember her and her team of skilled upper classmen (Said team was now under the leadership of Jeane, who had always been second to herself. ) The only reason this concerned her and connected to the cards was that she had the feeling the captain also had them; if she could feel the cards just as Sage did, conflict could spark.'Last she wanted was a try out through a game she did not know how to play.

Another of her concerns, and a reason for her to spite the cards was her new partner in english class. The little girl seemed greatly unbalanced and the power of the cards was practically pulsating out of her. If these things could affect someone so greatly, or as secretly as they affected Sage, they could prove very dangerous.

Thankfully, for the platinum-blonde, her changes hadn't been good nor bad nor loud nor obvious. Her focus had increased greatly since the cards came to her possession. Time was so much slower, as if it stopped just for her. It was a blessing as it was a curse; as long as she had the cards she was permanently analyzing the slow-passing of time. She was sure there must be a way to disable that, so she spent most of her time meditating.

For now she rested there, waiting for someone to bring her back to the real world.