ROUND 4 - NEW PLAYERS & ROUND CHANGE

[utopiamods]

You're falling, and you can't remember why. It's a sickening feeling that makes your insides lurch; the darkness and the vertigo combine, and all you can think of is a story you heard once, somewhere.

- I remember now. It's a simple story that everyone knows. A legend of a Princess, the Demon Lord who kidnapped her, and the Knight who fought to save her.

The Demon Lord had kidnapped the Princess countless times, but every time the Knight bested his challenges and rescued the Princess.

No matter what tricks and ploys the Demon Lord used, the Knight would always triumph in the end. This was because--

The world tilts on its axis one last time, and the dream slips from your mind as easily as it arrived. A new voice intrudes on your sleep.

"Next stop: Academy Main Entrance. This tramline terminates here; all change. Next stop: Academy Main Entrance. All change."

Sunlight streams through the windows of the long carriage, making the seats almost uncomfortably warm beneath its waking passengers. The air is muggy and thick, the atmosphere deeply tired. Your nausea settles, slowly. The last of the dream fades.

"We have arrived at Utopia. Repeat, we have arrived at Utopia Academy. Could all passengers please leave the tram, as it is terminating here."

The tram pulls to a stop outside the academy station, and anyone onboard is ushered off and directed to the front lobby of the school. You can't miss it; there are signs up pointing toward the main entrance, reading "New student orientation" in big, bright letters. If anyone should care to move off the path, try exploring somewhere else, a teacher will conveniently appear to shoo them back toward the lobby, assuring them that "all your questions will be answered inside".

The lobby is big and spacious, looking more like a university or perhaps a fancy international hotel than a high school. Stood around are any number of students in the uniform of the school. Some of them even look awake. There are several receptionists at the desk towards the back of the lobby, but for now they seem busy with paperwork.

Anyway, the many screens are far more interesting. Once a good number of students are gathered inside the building, they all activate at once to show a cheerful, almost cavity-inducing woman in the school uniform. She smiles, waves, and launches into her speech without further ado.

"Good afternoon to our new students here at Utopia Academy! Thank you for choosing to enroll with us for this, our first semester of the new year. Our battle system is the best in the world, set up for you, our students! I hope that you all had a fun journey here, and that you've all made some new friends! You're going to need them soon, so keep them close, okay?

"Now, I'm going to explain the rules for you. Make sure to listen carefully, and remember, you can find all of this and more in the Exaclan manual!"

She outlines the battle system for the newbies as she has every round previous, then claps her hands. The screen goes blank, and the following appears:

PLAYERS FOR ROUND 4:
Dahlia Hawthorne
Edward Elric
Gino Weinberg
Kanaya Maryam
Lelouch vi Britannia
Rudy Roughnight
Sherlock Holmes
Shiro Tougyu
Suzaku Kururugi
Takuto Tsunashi
Tomoko Oashi
Zoro Roronoa

Comments

[hairwag]

She should have known her name would be on the list eventually. It wasn't as if she could get away with not being a player when everyone else had to. But as Tomoko stares at the screen, she can't help but feel shocked at the announcement. What was she going to do?

Fight. That was the only thing she could do at this point. She knows she has to be brave. So Tomoko balls her tiny fists, takes a deep breath, and tries to think of who could be her weapon.

[allurprincess]

There's one answer straight away; Sora is over to her in the time it takes Tomoko to take her steadying breath.

"Tomoko, did you see? You get to fight!"

[hairwag]

Seeing Sora helps her mood dramatically. She musters half a smile, and looks up at the older girl.

"I saw."

[allurprincess]

"Will you be okay? You know it's alright if you don't want to."

[hairwag]

She gives Sora an encouraging little head bobble.

"I'll be fine! I'm going to try my hardest!"

[allurprincess]

"We're going to do great," she nodded back, hand coming up to rest on Tomoko's head and ruffle her bangs. "Ah, you've never used a sword before, right?"

[hairwag]

Her little ponytails might have just wagged a little- wait, no, that must just be Sora's imagination. Ponytails don't wag like that.

"N-no! But I can learn. Probably."

[allurprincess]

As Sora well knows, Tomoko's ponytails have a life of their own. And she will believe that until death do they part.

"Yup! It's really easy. I'll show you after lunch!"

[hairwag]

"Okay! I-is it really that easy?"

[allurprincess]

"Of course," she says, "I know you can do it." And that's all that matters, really. If you think about it.

[hairwag]

Himoto-san knew she could do it. Himoto-san believed in her! Tomoko's face lit up even more when she said that, and nodded like mad. "I can! I'll try my hardest!"

[discarded]

Oh, that poor little girl. She looked so small and out of place. Miwako offered her a smile, to hopefully reassure her. "Is something wrong?"

[hairwag]

Tomoko offered a semi-awkward smile back at Miwako. "Oh- no. T-that's just my name up there."

[discarded]

"Oh... I'm sorry." Miwako's smile fell. "Um, good luck!"

[hairwag]

Tomoko gave a little nod. "Thank you. I'm going to try my best."

[discarded]

"Mm..." Miwako nodded. But the thought of a poor girl like her having to fight...

"Do you know who you want to be your weapon?"

[hairwag]

"I-I think so. Maybe. ....Probably." If Himoto-san said yes. She might be too busy with other people, and...

"Oh- Do you have a player this round? M-maybe... I wouldn't use you if you didn't want- but...maybe I could... protect you?" Like Himoto-san did. It sounded so noble.