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Hizuki rubbed at her eyes as she flitted up to a nearby rooftop, leaving the disintegrating remains of a trio of miseria behind. It was fairly early in her night, but she already felt like she had weights tied to her eyelids. [color=fff200][i]I really wish Shuuko had actually set up that patrol rotation.[/i][/color] She immediately felt a little bad for the thought; Shuuko had plenty of her own problems to deal with, and Hizuki could keep going as long as she needed to. It’s not like she actually slept in her magical girl form, so it [i]probably[/i] didn’t need sleep. 

Shaking her wandering thoughts away, she alighted atop an air conditioning unit and surveyed the area. Rather than immediately reach out with her magical senses, Hizuki first checked with her eyes; not all issues that faced the nighttime population of Hibusa were something on someone’s conscious mind, after all.

It wouldn’t take long for Hizuki to notice the pulsing flashes of teal light, coupled with the dancing arcs of similarly colored lightning, which emanated from several rooftops away. The neon glow illuminated a familiar figure that was dwarfed by the massive weapon she wielded, a weapon that was clearly the source of the baleful radiance.

[color=Aquamarine]“That’s it ya fuckin’ shit stains…”[/color] Nyxia snarled as the ruinous cylinder of annihilation projected by her beloved death ray violently vaporized a writhing cluster of Miseria in the alleyway below. [color=Aquamarine]“Die for me!”[/color] 

No small amount of troubles weighed heavy on the Neon Tempest’s thoughts of late, from the GEMs’ increasingly annoying disruptions to the skeletal titan only Rei had been able to harm, but if anything was able to put her troubled mind at ease, it was killing these abhorrent creatures. Yet tonight, the normally enjoyable slaughter of her hated foes brought little comfort, for, unlike all the others, there was a single concern that refused to be so easily swept aside. [i]The picture.[/i] The picture of her brother with [i]Rei,[/i] of all people, depicting a closeness between them that suggested friendship at the very least, if not something… [i]more.[/i] That revelation had shocked Nyxia to the very core of her being, and she was determined to gain further insight on the matter, but, so far, it had proved just as elusive as her other goals. Asking Rei directly was out of the question. The club’s leader was objectively more powerful than her, or any of the club’s other members, so forcing the issue would be an exercise in futility, and she highly doubted the infamously cryptic girl would ever willingly reveal anything about her relationship with Kaito if asked. 

No, the Neon Tempest would have to explore other avenues, and she was forced to concede that she wouldn’t be able to effectively do so without help. However, that realization brought its own set of problems. The only other club member she could really tolerate, let alone [i]trust[/i], was Roche, and the Rule Keeper had been preoccupied with her own issues of late. Plus, Nyxia had already sought her assistance with other matters, in particular, the plan she’d concocted for leading that bothersome private investigator her father had hired away from Misoka and towards a far more deserving target. Even so, there was still one possible alternative- the club’s newest member. Although the Neon Tempest hadn’t really interacted with the girl all that much, she not only seemed like a tolerable enough individual, but also someone who was eager to offer her assistance to anyone in need. 

With that in mind, Nyxia resolved to have a private chat with the selfless girl about it after the next club meeting. Unless, of course, she crossed paths with her before then…  

Fortunately for the Neon Tempest, her lightshow had attracted the exact sort of attention she wanted. A yellow beam pierced one of her opponents before she had a chance to sweep her own devastation across it, followed quickly by the one who’d fired it. Daybreak arrived just after the miseria finished vanishing, landing with a slight [i]thump[/i] of boots meeting the roof. [color=fff200]“I wasn’t expecting to run into anyone else tonight. Hi, Tera- I mean, er, Nyxia,”[/color] she said, with a small wave. [color=fff200]“Something on your mind? You look like you’re having less fun than usual.”[/color]

Nyxia was slightly startled by the unexpected assistance, and she couldn’t keep her eyes from widening when she realized the identity of its source. [color=Aquamarine]“H-Huh?! O-Oh, uh, hi…”[/color] the still somewhat shaken Neon Tempest replied, awkwardly pausing as she tried to recall the new girl’s name. [color=Aquamarine]“Hizuna, right? And yeah…”[/color] she added with a frown, her death ray’s beam fading as the last of the Miseria were vaporized. [color=Aquamarine]“There [i]is[/i] something that’s been botherin’ me. Something I was hopin’ [i]you[/i] might be able to help me with.”[/color]

[color=fff200]“Hizuki,”[/color] she clarified. [color=fff200]“Or Haruna, when I’m not transformed.”[/color] Understandable error, really. [color=fff200]“What’s up? I’d be happy to help.”[/color] The rest of the club was already running her a bit ragged, of course, but helping them out was the entire reason she was here, so she didn’t let it come through in her voice.

[color=Aquamarine]“Well, first of all, Hizuki,”[/color] Nyxia began, exhaling a tired sigh. [color=Aquamarine]“What I’m about to tell you needs to stay between [i]us.[/i] I prefer as few people as possible knowing about my personal life,”[/color] she continued. [color=Aquamarine]“Aside from Earthshaker, only Schrade knows my civilian identity and what led to me becoming a magical girl. But ‘Shaker’s busy and I can’t bring our ‘fearless leader’ into this for reasons that’ll soon become really fuckin’ apparent. You’re the least horrible of all the other options, so I guess I’m just gonna take a leap of faith that you’re as cool a person as you seem like.”[/color] The Neon Tempest took a deep breath before continuing. [color=Aquamarine]“My brother was the most important person in the world to me. We did so much together, shared so many secrets. Until very recently, he was the only person who’d ever truly cared about me. Then the fucking Miseria killed him, which directly led to my becoming a magical girl. The reason I kill Miseria, the reason I’m working so hard to get stronger is all because of him. But a short time ago, I discovered a picture of him with [i]Rei.[/i] They weren’t just classmates, they looked like [i]friends.[/i] Or m-maybe even… [i]more[/i] than that…”[/color] She grit her teeth. [color=Aquamarine]“Neither of them ever told me that they knew each other, let alone that they were so close. I can expect that of little miss cryptic, but Kaito would have told me, would have said [i]something,[/i] so why didn’t…?”[/color] Her voice trailed off as she began to get choked up, before she gave voice to a ragged exhale and forcefully shook her head. [color=Aquamarine]“A-Anyways, getting some answers to those questions is what I need your help with, if you’re still willing after hearing all that.”[/color]

[color=fff200]“I’ll keep it quiet, I promise. I, um, can understand at least some of how you feel.”[/color] She took a small breath to steady herself, with that particular part of her life having come to the front of her mind. [color=fff200]“I don’t know why your brother would have kept that kind of thing quiet at all, and it seems weird for it to have been something that you somehow just didn’t notice.”[/color] Hizuki’s brow furrowed beneath her visor, as she frowned in thought. [color=fff200]“The usual answer would be magic, somehow, but that’s not very specific, and it doesn’t really answer why. Although, I can’t help but wonder if it’s related to something Willow told me.”[/color]

The light girl paused as she considered how much to say (and to lament the number of secrets she was managing to accumulate.) Willow hadn’t strictly said to keep that information a secret, but Hizuki was neither stupid, nor an aspiring lawyer. [color=fff200]“Schrade’s been acting strange lately, according to her. I know most of what comes out of Willow’s mouth is nonsense, but I believe what she told me. It’s possible that looking into that might also end up revealing something about Schrade’s relationship with Kaito, whatever it was.”[/color] She put a hand up to her chin. [color=fff200]“Do you know how long she’s been a magical girl?”[/color]

[color=Aquamarine]“No,”[/color] Nyxia replied. [color=Aquamarine]“I don’t really know much about her at all, other than that she’s a cryptic control freak, and that her family runs a funeral home. That’s actually the first time I met her,”[/color] the Neon Tempest added. [color=Aquamarine]“When my family went there after my brother died. I was still pretty fucked up by what had happened, so I obviously wasn’t paying the closest attention, but I don’t remember Rei looking all that bothered by the news. Then again, that bitch is pretty much always a blank slate, no matter what’s going on, which is why seeing that picture was so disturbing. She was actually showing [i]real emotion[/i] in it, like an actual fucking [i]person.[/i]”[/color]

[color=fff200]“I haven't really seen her emote much either.”[/color] She didn't mention that she thought this was kinda cool. [color=fff200]“I was thinking. . . I don't know how she got so crazy strong, but maybe her wish was tied to him somehow? Or she was a light girl before he passed, and she became who she is now after falling?”[/color] She shrugged. “[color=fff200]Honestly it doesn't make a ton of sense, saying it out loud. . .”[/color]

[color=Aquamarine]“Yeah, pretty sure her little club was around for quite a while before my brother’s death,”[/color] Nyxia noted. [color=Aquamarine]“So if his passing prompted [i]anything[/i] from her, I doubt it’ll be something obvious. Listen, I know this really out of character, coming from me,”[/color] she added after a moment. [color=Aquamarine]“But we need to be as secretive as we possibly can. I don’t want anyone to know we’re looking into this, and between Miss Wandering Eyes and Rei’s seeming omniscience, I realize that’s probably a lost cause, but I still wanna at least make an attempt.”[/color] 

[color=fff200]“I’ll do my best.”[/color] She thought for a moment. [color=fff200]“Although Evil Eye would probably help us if we asked. Like you said, it’s hard to do anything without her finding out somehow, so that probably also applies to the club president. My only real idea right now is trying to talk to Schrade directly and see if my powers give me any idea of what’s going on there, too, but it feels a little bad to use them without any real intention of helping the person I’m using them on.”[/color]

​​[color=Aquamarine]“Evil Eye would just tell Schrade, and Schrade [i]isn’t[/i] going to help us,”[/color] Nyxia declared with a contemptuous scowl. [color=Aquamarine]“If anything, they’ll both just make trying to get answers even [i]more[/i] difficult, so I think keeping them in the dark as much as possible is the best idea. The picture was of all the school’s various club presidents,”[/color] the Neon Tempest explained. [color=Aquamarine]“So maybe if you covertly asked some of them if they remembered there being any kind of relationship, or notable interaction, between my brother and Rei, that might start shedding some light on things. Plus, it shouldn’t look too out of place, either, considering how much you seem to like chatting with people to begin with,”[/color] she added with a smirk.

Hizuki replied with a self-depreciating grin and a rub to the back of her helmet. [color=fff200]“Yeah, I do just kinda walk up to people constantly, huh. . .”[/color] She mostly didn’t think about it, largely because it would make her approaches [i]way more awkward[/i] if Hizuki actually considered the strangeness of her talking to literally everyone like some kind of RPG protagonist. [color=fff200]“That sounds like a good enough plan to me. I can be mostly honest, too; I’m sure they’ll understand wanting to know more about my own club president, considering how mysterious she acts. Maybe I’ll find some answers to other questions I have, too.”[/color] The light girl frowned, considering for a moment if she should ask the question that came to mind. [color=fff200]“By the way. . . has Rei ever said anything about, I dunno, needing you guys to be able to stand without her, or being able to leave you alone, or anything like that?”[/color]

[color=Aquamarine]“Not out loud. At least, not that I remember,”[/color] Nyxia replied. She’d never really been one to pay too much attention to the club’s leader. [color=Aquamarine]“But that general feeling has always kinda been there, that not-so-subtle insinuation that we needed to get stronger, to someday reach [i]her[/i] level. Hell, just the fact that she’s so obscenely fucking powerful to begin with is proof of that,”[/color] the Neon Tempest continued. [color=Aquamarine]“I mean, who wouldn’t get an inferiority complex after seeing her one shot a building-sized Miseria we couldn’t even [i]scratch?[/i] And don’t even get me [i]started[/i] on that dragon bitch…”[/color]

[color=fff200]“Since my conversation with Roche the other day, I’ve been thinking about that. I’m hoping I’ll have some more solid ideas on how to help everyone else get stronger by the next club meeting.”[/color] Hizuki glanced around, as if to check for someone eavesdropping, and spoke the next a bit more softly. [color=fff200]“I’m planning on asking the other light girls in the area if they know anything about Ashbringer, too. The GEMs have a couple members I get along with, and Kaeru and I are on pretty good terms. I don’t know how the others will react, though, since some of them have [i]serious[/i] problems with light magical girls and might think I’m betraying the club or something.”[/color] She gave a sort of helpless shrug. [color=fff200]“I’ll see if they know anything about Rei and Kaito while I’m at it.”[/color]

Hizuki seemed like she was done speaking, but started after a moment. [color=fff200]“Oh, and, um. . . I don’t actually know what your family name is. Kaito’s not that rare of a name, and it’s not like I really know what he looked like. . .”[/color] She trailed off, leaving the actual question unasked.

Nyxia frowned, her visage clearly displaying her indecision as she internally debated on how much she should reveal. She looked away out of seeming embarrassment before finally whispering, [color=Aquamarine]“Tsukishima. I-It’s Tsukishima. And I don’t really care if you talk with the light girls,”[/color] the Neon Tempest added, the whole “Light” and “Dark” divide being little more than meaningless semantics to her. [color=Aquamarine]“Even the shitty ones. Just don’t go into any detail about this situation with my brother,”[/color] she instructed, fixing Hizuki with a stern glare. [color=Aquamarine]“If you mention him by name, they’re gonna get suspicious, which could lead them to me, and that’s the [i]last[/i] thing I wanna have happen. So just, y’know, be discreet.”[/color]

Daybreak mentally noted that Nyxia’s surname was also not something to be shared around. [color=fff200][i]And another one. I guess it's inevitable. . .[/i][/color] She had the errant thought that she [i]really[/i] didn’t want to encounter another magical girl with outright telepathy or mind control; Hizuki was accumulating quite the large collection of secrets. [color=fff200]“I’ll do my best. I’m already trying to avoid giving them GEMs more information about the Club as a whole, since they don’t seem very willing to talk things out, so it shouldn’t really be an adjustment.”[/color] 

[color=Aquamarine]“Okay, well… thanks…”[/color] Nyxia told her, the words coming out somewhat awkwardly, as though she were unused to expressing such sentiments. [color=Aquamarine]“I’m glad we ran into each other,”[/color] the Neon Tempest added with a smile. [color=Aquamarine]“And not just because I wanted your help. You fight like a total badass, and that beam attack ya made on the night we first met was fuckin’ epic, so, I was thinkin’ it might be cool if we got a chance to team up. Whatdaya say? Wanna see if we can find more of these ass wipes to vaporize the fuck outta?”[/color] she inquired, pointing her thumb at the pitiful, wispy remnants of the Miseria she and Hizuki had recently slaughtered.

Hizuki returned the smile. [color=fff200]“I’m glad I came this direction tonight. You’re pretty cool too, you know, with the big giant multi-laser cannon and the drones and such.”[/color] She twirled her weapon in one hand before planting the butt in the ground next to her, striking a bit of a pose. [color=fff200]“And I’m always happy to take out more Miseria. Let’s do this!”[/color] With a grin, she gripped her spear in both hands, then rocketed into the air. Hizuki circled a couple times before pointing to the nearest cluster of miseria with her glowing Sweet Arm, then made a beckoning motion to Nyxia before blasting off towards the spot.

[color=Aquamarine]“Hell yeah!”[/color] Nyxia declared, before making a beam-boosted leap to the location Hizuki had indicated. Charging up her beloved Omega Obliterator while still in midair, the grinning Neon Tempest prepared to do her part in giving Hibusa Town a laser light show it’d never forget.