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[IamanElfCollaborator]

Gawain shakes his head at Mildred.
"...thanks for the offer. But stay here."

Scathach waves her arms at him.
"Hermelin needs you more than we do. Besides, if they come back, you and Kasuga should protect people here, no? We'll be close, of course, if you need us, but...well....it seems like Kasuga alone was more than a match."

Then Misa mentions a "dark lord". Gawain's fist clenches and the tone of his voice grows noticeably colder.
"Yes."
"...well, we think so, anyway. We caught a glimpse of them a few nights ago, but....we lost them. As for the vigilantes...I wouldn't worry about them. Akitsuki's got a good reputation. She'll be fine."

[Smoke Mirrors]

"And what if, in the future, we end up having to save someone whose reputation isn’t as good? What if… Kasuga or I had become Akumas?” Mori’s voice took on a slightly accusatory tone. “What is in place to protect people from stigmatization and even hospitalization for things done not under their own will? We know the police aren’t able to protect them."

[IamanElfCollaborator]

Gawain barely even flinches.
"That's why you can't come with us. Two of us can't protect them all. Eight of you can."

[Smoke Mirrors]

"Very well” Mori replied, “And… I should apologize. You did save all our lives earlier, and I can now see from experience that it must be rather difficult to deal with all the Akuma as just a pair. I’m just rather tired, in pain, afraid, and a mix of other things."

[SeriousConcentrate]

"Ugh. I actually have to start going to school regularly, just in case? What a fucking drag."

Mildred sighed heavily.

[SirAston]

"... So, you're all already expecting to do this again, aren't you?"

Her helmet, and thus her gaze, angled towards the floor.

"... I don't want to do this again. I'm scared. About the Akuma. About the people aiming for Kaijin like us. And... I'm scared of myself."
"I never wanted to hurt people and yet I had this desire to destroy after I became... this."

Yui's eyes, hidden behind the slit of the helmet, fixate on the group as a whole again.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm happy that everything turned out well for the moment, and that I could be of help. But... ..."

Her voice audibly wavered.

"... please don't rely on me showing up..."

[SeriousConcentrate]

"I'm not just expecting it, I'm looking forward to it. Don't you get it? There's a purity here we can't find in the real world; an Akuma's domain is a world where everything is boiled down to black and white. We, the Kaijin, are the good guys. Those demons are the bad guys, and when we destroy them, we save lives."

Proioxis walked over to Marc'heg Gwer and put her hands on her shoulders.

"Aren't you the least bit curious about how far we can take this power? This is the kind of opportunity that comes once in a millennia, and you want to give it up? Ain't you got any friends you want to protect?"

[Smoke Mirrors]

"Not everyone is as excited to rush into a fight as you, Honda.” Mori replied, before turning to Yui “I fully understand you, in not wanting to fight. I’m not made for combat, but I feel a sense of… obligation. Not to the people who the akumas could hurt, but the the Akumas themselves. Someone needs to be there who can emphasize with them and view them as victims. I know I wasn’t far from becoming one myself, and I’m still not sure how I didn’t. More importantly, I’m interested in developing this healing ability. I know some people who it could do a lot of good for, and I can’t just ignore that. But don’t worry, you don’t need to stay if you don’t need to, and you can come back at any time if you wish to."

After a second of thinking on what he just said, her turned to look at everyone else.


”A word of what I just said gets out to the school, there will be a billboard of every embarrassing fact you ever wanted hidden displayed prominently in your home room class. Got it?”

[SirAston]

"... There are Kaijin vigilantes out there hurting other Kaijin. This is not as black and white as you hope it to be."

Yui pushed the hands away.

"I don't want to take this power anywhere! I want my normal life back! It's boring, I've been bullied in the past, but it's still much better than getting out there and putting my life in danger! And don't you dare bring up my friends, they didn't get pulled into this messy world, so the Akuma obviously have no interest in them!"

After a moment of silence, she exhaled a long sigh.

"Look... You're one of the people eager to do this Kaijin bit. And a few others probably feel similar, too, I've seen how brave Akihiko was. You'll do fine no matter if I'm there or not. I'm not needed."

[IamanElfCollaborator]

Akihiko, meanwhile, has just been quietly holding Saya to himself, hugging her gently, ignoring the rest of the world around him, thinking quietly to himself. He eventually finds it in himself to rest Saya on a nearby bench, staying nearby.

As the discussion ramps up, and Mori speaks, you swear Akihiko would lift an eyebrow if his eyebrows were visible.
"....you know, Sawatari, that's a pretty empty threat when you consider half the people couldn't give less of a damn what those guys think. Myself included. You've fooled about nobody with the villain act, especially with that little speech. Don't think I didn't catch you back there backing Akari up. 'Course, you'll probably take a while to figure out you're better than you think."
He sighs, looking back at Saya. Akihiko clenches his fists, wincing a little as the pain of the damage he'd taken during the fight begins to set in.
"....yeah. I'm staying here. I'm not letting anyone do this to anyone again. If they went this hard after us, they'll be back here to try to come after someone else, and I'm not having that on my conscience. And when I find the bastard that hurt Saya...."
He exhales deeply.
"...I'll bring him to justice, alone if I have to. If you guys, Aiuchi included, want to back out of it, want to leave and never see this again, that's fine. But I know what I want, and if you want to help, all the better. I've been bullied too, and the only way to stop them is to hit back. So I will. And I'll hit them until they back down."

Scathach chuckles.
"My, my, Sawatari. How cute. Getting some acting practice in, are we? And Kasuga....well, at this point, I'd be lying if I didn't expect it. Your reputation's pretty big."
"How the hell do you know who we are, anyway?"
"I can't really tell you, can I? Besides, you'll find out in due time."
Gawain quietly goes over and begins patching up Akihiko.
"...like it or not, you're in this now, all of you. We're sorry you had to be involved. But it is what it is."

[SeriousConcentrate]

"... There are Kaijin vigilantes out there hurting other Kaijin. This is not as black and white as you hope it to be."

"If some idiot who thinks they're hot shit just because they have powers like mine comes after me, I'll beat them so bad they'll regret not becoming an Akuma when they had the chance. And then I'll beat them again for attacking people who are trying to do some good with the chance they were given."

"I don't want to take this power anywhere! I want my normal life back! It's boring, I've been bullied in the past, but it's still much better than getting out there and putting my life in danger! And don't you dare bring up my friends, they didn't get pulled into this messy world, so the Akuma obviously have no interest in them!"

"Just because they ain't here now doesn't mean they aren't ever gonna be. All of us were targeted despite having nearly nothing in common. Tomorrow three or four people could be hit the same way we were. Or maybe no one will. We don't know who, how many, or when. You really want to take the risk someone close to you gets turned into an Akuma and you're leaving them being saved up to me?"

"Look... You're one of the people eager to do this Kaijin bit. And a few others probably feel similar, too, I've seen how brave Akihiko was. You'll do fine no matter if I'm there or not. I'm not needed."

"Maybe we will do fine, maybe we won't. Can't say. But I think you're the type that you'll feel guilty if you decide to sit out and then someone does get hurt. Even that jackass mask over there."

Mildred pointed a thumb at Mori.

"...If you guys, Aiuchi included, want to back out of it, want to leave and never see this again, that's fine. But I know what I want, and if you want to help, all the better. I've been bullied too, and the only way to stop them is to hit back. So I will. And I'll hit them until they back down."

"Damn right. I've had your back since we met and I'm not going to back down just because we're fighting something not human."

"...like it or not, you're in this now, all of you. We're sorry you had to be involved. But it is what it is."

"Whoever it is that drug me into this is going to realize someday soon that was the biggest mistake they ever made. They must've thought I'd make a good Akuma, so it's going to be perfectly ironic when I end their plans."

[Smoke Mirrors]

"I have no idea what you could possibly be talking about." Mori replied. He almost sounded convincing enough you'd believe him... if it wasn't blatantly obvious he was lying. "Anyway, let's not pressgang anyone into taking part in a fight if they said they don't want to, if only because it hurts morale. As for me, I'm fine taking part in this as long as someone is standing between me and akuma. Now, there's something I want to try real quick."

He walked up to Akihiko and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Truth. Justice..." His body darkened to a silhouette and began to reshape itself.


"...and the Kamen Rider Way."

He looked down at his body, now a perfect copy of Akihiko, before waving his hand and returning to his normal form.


"Well, I can shapeshift into people now. Cower in fear. Wonder if I can..." he closed his eyes and started singing under his breath.

"Am I a good man? Am I a mad man?" his body faded and shifted again.


"...It's such a fine line between a good man and a..." He looked down. "I can. Awesome."

[SirAston]

"Just because they ain't here now doesn't mean they aren't ever gonna be. All of us were targeted despite having nearly nothing in common. Tomorrow three or four people could be hit the same way we were. Or maybe no one will. We don't know who, how many, or when. You really want to take the risk someone close to you gets turned into an Akuma and you're leaving them being saved up to me?"

"Heh. As long as they're saved, it doesn't matter who does the saving, so I lose nothing by sitting out. Unless... you admit that you can't be that great of a pretend superhero after all?"
"If that's the case, if you truly aren't that good despite your best and most passionate efforts..."
"... the heck do you think I can perform better while I'm still shivering inside this armor?!"

Yui finally put some distance between herself and Mildred, walking a few steps away and turning her back towards her while crossing her arms in silence.

[SeriousConcentrate]

"Nah, I know I'm the best fighter here aside from Kasuga. I just figured you wouldn't want to rely on someone with my reputation. But, hey, if you want to sit by and always be saved, that's your choice. Not gonna respect it though."

[IamanElfCollaborator]

Akihiko just snorts at Mori. Then Yui storms off.

"I'll....talk to her."
Akihiko strolls up to Yui, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.
"....you're right, you don't need to fight. But....well, I saw you out there. You did good. As good as anyone could in that situation. If you want out, that's fine, that's your choice. Nobody asked you to take this burden on.

Not like I'm not afraid, either. Of course I am. Whoever came after Saya....they had power, they tried to turn us into monsters. But that's why I'm going to stand up and fight against that, even if I am afraid; if I had to back down because I was afraid, I'd never have gotten anything done in my life. Didn't stop me a year ago, with Sasanuma. Won't stop me now. You have to find your own reason to fight, but I've got mine. If you never find yours, that's okay. Sit out. You did all you needed to. Nobody needed you to do anything but that.

But if you find your reason, you come find me, Aiuchi. I'd always be happy to have you have my back."
He pats her on the shoulder again, before walking back to the rest of the group.