[Sunnivale]

The girls briefly looked at Roll for a second before they started to laugh at her when she described Hylia Grace. "Your toy is funny!" The girl in the pink dress said to Ciel, before they introduced themselves to the group since Axl had asked before they answer them about Yumiko's whereabouts.

"I'm Miyashita Teruko!" The first girl introduced herself to the group, followed by her friend.

"And I'm Takara Ume." And when Ume finished introducing herself. Both girls suddenly said in unison.

"We're friends." Before Teruko began to tell them about Yumiko's location.

"Shirasagi-chan often walks by here on her way to school, she's probably still there. It's down the street, pass your left, then your second left, then right, down, left, other right, and then you would arrive at her school. Jusho high it's called." Teruko said, upon which she yawned.

"Can we go back to playing our game now, or do we have to warn you about... The Bad Girl as well?" Teruko asked. It was here that the group had a few decisions that they could make, they could either follow the girl's instructions and take the directions that would take them to Yumiko's school, ask about this "bad girl" that they had mentioned just now, or they can investigate two more places before going to the school.

That would be the store that was mentioned earlier that had just opened, or a nearby house, which now had a middle aged woman that was doing laundry just outside of it.

Should they take the directions that would take them to Jusho High, they would eventually find it, but the front of the school was empty because all of the students were inside for class. But by one of the windows, the girl that they were looking for was sitting down and was looking at something in the room that she was in.

The girl was Yumiko, who has yet to notice what was happening outside. Someone in the group could yell out to her to get her attention so she might leave the room that she's in, it's presumably a classroom. However if they start to walk closer to Jusho High.

They would start to notice, two figures standing by the front doors of the school. They were staring straight at the entrance gate of the school.

It was as if they were waiting for people to arrive.

[Maverick Hunter Zero]

"Thanks for the directions on how to get there, might be possible to keep an eye out for that 'bad girl' if you tell us what they look like." Axl said as he checked his DNA logs for anything he might be able to use for any fighting that might happen, only to realize with a facepalm that the only DNA Data he had was for Vile Mk. VI, so it pretty much checked out in the end.

"We'll have to avoid splitting up as I think it would weaken our group, probably best to stick together otherwise." Axl would say as he turned to the group, hoping for their opinion on this since there were four members at the moment.

[DLN-002-02 Roll Light]

Roll-Roll froze up, her eyes widening ever so slightly in shock as she was deemed... a toy! Sure, the ball joins on her limbs kinda made her look like a giant lifelike doll in a way, but she'd never been objectified like that before. She could even tell it wasn't an insult. That was just how they saw her. She just kind of fell quiet at that, her words caught on her throat.

DCN-002 (DLN-002-02) Roll-Roll 170/170 HP 60/60 Shield

[Doctor Ciel]

“ Toy..? Oh--...Thank you. Her name is Roll and she's very dear to my heart. Before we let you get back to your game, is the 'bad girl' someone we should be concerned about..? ”

Ciel decided not to correct the girls, unsure how to interpret what they'd said. Instead, she focused on this bad girl fellow. Sure she could've just run off and figured it out later, but rushing into problems really wasn't her style. So she decided to stick around and ask about that instead.

Ciel 160/160 HP 50/50 Shield

[Fairy Leviathan]

"Worried you might get lost if someone is not holding your hand, Axl? No need to worry about me, I don't intend to wander off yet," Leviathan teased Axl a bit, glancing to his arm before returning her focus to the mission at hand. Also trying to cover up their intentions with her humor a bit.

"Nice to meet you, Miyashita, Takara. You seem to be really close," she noted with a smile. "Thanks for the directions as well," she added. She turned her attention to the Reploid who has gone quiet for the time while the others asked about the bad girl... Understandable that would hit home. While Leviathan was not exactly in civillian attire she could understand Roll seeming less human when she thinks about it... Although she was not sure how much she disagreed with how she does not deviate much from her designed purpose and Ciel was being rather strict with her for some reason... She could imagine a few but it might have gotten worst.

"..." For the time she decided to keep her focus on the kids as they described who this bad girl was. Seems like a vital clue that could benefit this investigation.... Or prevent disaster.

[Sunnivale]

Teruko and Ume laughed at what they said to Roll. Their laugh sounded like a pair of school misfits having committed a prank on someone, despite their somewhat rude laugh, they were at least kind enough to help the group out over the identity of this "bad girl" They turned back towards the four, after turning their backs away from them to laugh at Roll.

They both nodded at Ciel's question about if they should be concerned about the girl.

"She basically controls this town." Teruko revealed, before being stopped by Ume before she can say anymore.

"Miyashita-chan, be quiet, you might get her attention. You know how much, she watches everything around here." Ume scolded her friend, although the girls were surprised...

That this bad girl hasn't shown up yet upon the arrival of the group. "Look, we don't mean any trouble, but if we describe her some more then we will. We can just draw you a picture of her though, so you can know what she looks like." Ume said before quickly taken out a notepad and some crayons that were ages 8-99, fortunately for her, she turned eight just last week so she was able to use them.

After she quickly drew the woman, she turned the notepad over towards the group so they can see what she had drawn.

But as she did, a voice of an older woman was heard throughout the vacant lot.

"NO, You can't show them what I am, they will put an end to everything. Get out, EVERYONE LEAVE THIS PLACE, YOU DON'T BELONG HERE, ONLY ME AND MY FRIEND BELONG HERE!" 

(Umineko OST - Red Dread)

In an instant... The Vacant Lot changed to what it briefly was, a fog covered abandoned area. This time, it didn't change back to what it was before.



If the group turned, they would see that the street was also abandoned and covered in fog, however, before anything could happen.

Two giant hands appeared from the sky and grabbed Teruko and Ume. The two girls screamed as they were pulled into the sky by the two giant hands, before their screams suddenly stopped once they reached the clouds.

"Now that I got rid of those two failed creations, it's time to do the same to all four of you. By CRUSHING you all for disrupting this town!" The Woman called, this time her voice was coming from the sky instead of all around the four.

Ume's notepad was now on the ground, showing the drawing that she had of the woman.

She had, short brown dark hair, wore a navy blue school uniform---However, before the group could make out more of the woman's appearance, the notepad quickly spontaneous combusted. Then, the two hands that had taken Ume and Teruko away, reappeared.

And charged towards the four, intending to crush them.

(To dodge the hands and escape the now abandoned vacant lot. You must roll a 15 in DEX, otherwise they will slam themselves onto you and you'll gain 15% damage as a result.)

"HEY!" Called out another woman, it was the one taken out the laundry. She was still around compared to everyone else on the street, who were all gone now, she opened the door to her house, gesturing the group to follow her inside.

"Quickly, before she takes you away too!" The woman, who was Masuyo Sawada, offered the group shelter. However, they can also go down the path that Ume and Teruko told them about, the one that would take them to Jusho High and ignore Masuyo in the process...

Speaking of Yumiko.

---

She had noticed the changed environment outside, strange.

(Umineko OST: Lure)

The foghorn didn't go off, so that woman hasn't appeared yet, and nobody seemed to react to the sudden fog outside either. They often do, If they see the woman emerge from it, but she hasn't yet, so something must have happened.

Speaking of her classmates, they were all writing down things on pieces of paper by their desks. While the teacher stood near the chalkboard, watching each and every one of Yumiko's classmates, as well as Yumiko herself.

Yumiko however, looked down at her own desk. She didn't have any pieces of paper either, and there was nothing written on the chalk board, the Teacher also didn't say anything since class had started.

So, what were they even doing? Yumiko raised her hand.

"Uh, Sensei---YES?" Everyone in the room, turned towards Yumiko, even ones who's necks couldn't face Yumiko, twisted them with the sound of a broken bone to see Yumiko.

Yumiko slightly lowered her hand, surprised by everyone's reaction, before she continued. "Uh, shouldn't we be, learning, anything right now? Half of the lesson is almost over and all we've been doing is sitting around and writing stuff." Yumiko pointed out, the Teacher simply spoke in a soft tone, but the words were a bit odd.

"Education is pointless when we only live once. It will be useless once we all eventually die and the sun explodes and puts an end to humanity, us humans deserve to die, after what we did to her." Her? Yumiko was confused.

"Who's, her?" Yumiko checked each of her female classmates in the room, but they just looked at her. The Teacher didn't even respond to her question.

So Yumiko soon stood up, she couldn't deal with this place anymore. She needed to escape back into LI.

This place wasn't real. "May I be excused?" She asked the Teacher, he didn't say anything, he just continued to look at Yumiko.

"Sen...Sei?" Yumiko tried to get a response, but he still didn't say anything, so, she just moved away from her desk, before running to the nearest door and sliding it open before leaving, once she left, the students soon turned back towards the Teacher, who finally began the lesson.

"Today class, we're going to learn about something special..." The Teacher cheerfully wrote down the word that would be the basis of the lesson.

SACRIFICE

Yumiko meanwhile raced down the hallway and towards the front of the school so she can leave. "I don't care how long this will take. I will get out of here eventually no matter what!" Yumiko promised this to herself.

[DLN-002-02 Roll Light]

Roll-Roll stared in wonder as the hands dragged the two girls away. She'd never witnessed the true form of Master or Crazy Hand, but she was pretty sure those weren't it. So then... what exactly was she witnessing? After the girls vanished into the clouds and their screams abruptly fell silent, Roll-Roll... burst out laughing. “OOPS~! Guess you're the toys now!” she called out before letting loose a wicked cackle.

usaK|8dVp_1d20-1 (Hand Dodge! Failure)

Only to abruptly get smushed by a hand. “--Ow! ...Hey!” Roll-Roll blurted out in annoyance. It was only funny when other people got hurt! “Lady, you almost had me on your side there with that stunt. But try and stamp me out, and I'll disrupt your entire life starting at the skull!!” she angrily threatened, moody and temperamental as ever. She then began trying to outplay the hands as they harassed and tried to crush her.

p_1d20-1 “Ow--geez!!”
p_1d20-1 “REALLY?!”
p_1d20-1 “Jokes on you, I like being beaten up!”
p_1d20-1 (Hand Dodge! Success)

After struggling to escape the thrashing hands for a bit, Roll-Roll made a break for it! “Hah! So long space masseuse! I'm off to find you a freak-sized nail clipper!” she announced over her shoulder as she made a break for it. She for one chose to follow the path the two girls had pointed out, running off toward the school in search of Yumiko without hesitation. She entirely disregarded the other woman there. She had positive vibes that Roll-Roll didn't particularly want to be around.

DCN-002 (DLN-002-02) Roll-Roll 110/170 HP 60/60 Shield Zenkai (+3 DMG, +1 Str/Wis)

1d20-1·1d20-1·1d20-1·1d20-1·1d20-1

[Doctor Ciel]

“No!” Ciel blurted out as the girls were grabbed. She stared in horror for a moment and reached for her buster pistol as they were pulled up into the sky, firing off a few shots up at the hands in desperation. She wasn't down with letting those girls die, but it didn't seem like she could accomplish much, actually. Worse yet, ... Dangit, Roll-Roll. But also, the hands were going after her too! Taking the advice of the mysterious woman who showed up to try and help them, she quickly made a break for her!

gcJGUZr5p_1d20+1 (Hand Dodge Roll; Failure)

But not before getting bowled over. “--Ow!!” Ciel squealed, falling over before scrambling back to her feet.

p_1d20+1 (Hand Dodge Roll; Success!)

Second time around though, she managed to wiggle and lunge out of the way of another hand! She then ran toward Masuyo and sorta huddled close for protection. She glanced over her shoulder as she did this to see how the others were faring, only to gawk as she witnesses Roll-Roll running off on her own. ...Damnit, Roll. Once she was safely with Masuyo, or relatively safe anyway, she deigned to question her in a pleading tone.

“ Miss..? What's going on?? ”

Ciel 145/160 HP 50/50 Shield

1d20+1·1d20+1

[Fairy Leviathan]

tWHD9rLip_1d20+3

... Controls this town, huh? Well, that would explain their worried expressions. Just acknowledging her existence was enough to stir trouble as well? Well now that is certainly some strict leadership. She observed the drawing before glancing to her surroundings at the voice. As their surroundings changed some hands dragged away the people nice enough to help them. Well, good to be told they aren't welcome.

"... Seems she did not appreciate us digging so deep. Nothing to it but to get out of here for now," Leviathan commented before dodging the hands with expert precision and making her escape from them. As they made their escape someone ushered them to her. Leviathan looked to her as she seemed to be in some form of no before noticing one of their own running onward. "... I'd love to stay for a talk but I must be going. Tell me about your tea time later, okay?" Leviathan waved before hurrying after Roll. As much as she wanted intel she figured it was a good idea for them to not lose track of a member of their squad. Besides, she was confident Axl and Ciel could handle themselves while she took a school trip with the rebelious girl.

Fairy Leviathan HP: 150 Shield HP: 50

1d20+3

[Maverick Hunter Zero]

Axl would immediately sense the danger, and would attempt to dodge the instant those giant hands targeted him(the others managed to get out of the way, though Ciel and Roll took damage before they got away)
DEX ROLL: fUyYECZJp_1d20+3(A perfect dodge)

"I'm not gonna let that happen, lady! Axl would say with such sass, air dashing to safety and catching up with the group, though to be fair he was worried about Ciel and Roll more than he would like to admit.  "Is everyone alright?" he would ask, keeping an eye out for if their assailant.

---

Axl
HP: 180/180
Shield: 65/65
Status: Sassy gun boy!1d20+3

[Sunnivale]

As the Hands moved out of the Vacant Lot, she had lost track of everyone that had left just now, much to her frustration, around the same time, a salesman walked over towards the giant hands, holding out rabbit dolls with different clothes to match his carreer such as lawyer, doctor, nurse, overalls, detective, spy, serial killer, fireman, actor, mercenary and teacher. "Do you want to buy a Robbie the Rabbit doll, they're very popular around---But he was flicked into the sky screaming when the hand noticed him and pinged him. His screams suddenly stopped when he flew into the sky.

Only for something to fall onto the street just now, his bloody red skeletal corpse.

(Music: Sukashiyuri)

As Ciel ran over to Masuyo, the woman was disappointed to see that nobody else was willing to follow her to safety and so ushered Ciel into the house that she was living in nearby. "I'll explain everything once we get inside and away from, her." She said to Ciel before running into the house and sliding it shut behind her before the hands could notice her and Ciel. Masuyo breathed a sigh of relief over the fact that she might have gotten away from, her.

The creator of this terrible town.

She walked over towards the living room of the house and looked out of the window, to see that the street was now abandoned and covered in fog, and more so the hands and the rest of Ciel's group were no longer there, she then turned back towards the girl. "You don't seem to be a resident of this town. Which is good, because nobody should be living in this hellish town." Masuyo walked over back towards Ciel as she moved the curtains back again once she saw that there was no danger outside of the house again.

"You see, this town was founded over a week ago, but everyone here has been acting like that they were living in this town for their entire lives. But I feel as though her, the town's founder, had dragged them there through some sort of hypnosis, including me." Masuyo then looked down at her hands.

"I don't remember my life outside of this town. I don't even know if I'm really married and have a daughter of my own, like the fake life I have here. Anyway, I realised a few days ago that this town wasn't what it seems and I hoped more and more people would figure it out too and we can try and escape. But the few other people that do realise how evil this city is... She... Comes for them and drags them to their deaths." Masuyo continued, she remained quiet, fearing that she might somehow hear her conversation with Ciel.

"So, I acted like nothing was wrong, for fear that she might come for me and my husband, but not my daughter Yumiko. She seems to like her for some reason, as she always talks highly about her whenever she's around. But, it's not just her dragging us away with her hands in the sky, if she's ever angry then she'll often take it out on the residents here, or worse, she'll change them, so they can help her get rid of anyone that might upset her." However, before Masuyo can explain how the girl changes the residents of this town so they can become her minions...

A figure stood up in the kitchen, his silhouette can be seen by the door as Masuyo turned. She seemed to recognise the man in the Kitchen.

"Honey..." The man let out a faint voice.

(Music: Himitsu Ura)

And began slowly tapping on the kitchen door. "Are you, talking to someone. Someone that could harm her way of life?" The man asked, he continued to tap on the door as Masuyo gasped at the man's strange behaviour.

"N-No, oh no, she's already changing my husband. I mean, no, dear. Everything's fine!" Masuyo quickly calmed herself in order for her husband Sabuo to not realise that Ciel was with her. Masuyo was worried that something similar might be happening to her daughter at school.

She was still there and the ruler of this town had appeared once more. What if something bad was going to happen to Yumiko?

Ciel meanwhile should stay quiet in order not to be discovered by Sabuo or else something bad may happen.

(In order to avoid Sabuo from noticing Ciel, you must roll a 15 in DEX.)

Speaking of Yumiko...

---

(Music: Your Flesh is also Mine)

When the rest of the group had followed the group's instructions, they would begin to notice the town beginning to look more normal then it did on the street that they were just on. And more fortunately, the hands that were trying to crush them just now had vanished, the more they got nearer to Jusho High.

To the point that when they got to Jusho High, it looked normal. However, the school wasn't going to stay normal for long, as there was something, moving towards it, related to the mysterious woman that's been chasing the group.



The town around the group continued to become more foggy and abandoned the more they stood around Jusho High. More so, if they get near the school, the front doors would open, however instead of Yumiko that ran out...

There was two teachers, who had noticed the group's arrival and closed the doors behind them and blocked the group from getting into the school, the teachers were a man and a woman.

"I'm sorry, but nobody that dons the Jusho uniform may enter this school, unless you are here for Teachers. You must leave." The Woman urged.

"Yeah, there's nothing wrong here. And if you work for her, then we're going to force you off the property." The Male teacher warned. Should the group look back now, they would now notice that the once normal looking town is now covered in fog.

Around this time, Yumiko, who was running down the halls through Jusho High, noticed how dark they have gotten since she left the classroom. "What the hell, Is she changing the school now!?" Yumiko took a few steps back from the door to the Teacher's Longue that she was about to enter too, when she heard voices coming from the front door of the school. When she ran over and tried to open the doors, she was unable too due to the Teachers blocking the door, and so began to fiercely knock on the doors.

"Excuse me, I need out, there's something weird going on at school today. I need to get out of here. Hello!?" Yumiko tried to get the Teacher's attention, but she was unable too and that was when she began noticing figures near the school gates, which were starting to become rusted due to the town's effects.

Yumiko felt as though she had seen them before a few times around the Life Sphere. Wait, maybe they were from the Life Sphere, Yumiko quickly began knocking on the door to the school harder.

"HEY, HEY YOU, HELP. I'M STUCK IN HERE!" Yumiko called out to the group, which had finally got the teacher's attention, but they simply just moved closer to each other to prevent the group from looking at Yumiko.

"Move along..."

"Ignore the girl. She's just an delinquent." The Female Teacher said, which surprised Yumiko as she moved back towards the door.

"Delinquent!?" She looked offended and clenched her hands as her hands sparkled with lightning. If the Teachers aren't letting her leave, then she was just going to force her way out.

The teacher's gaze meanwhile, began to look sinister towards the group.

[Maverick Hunter Zero]

"Heh... I'm sorry, but tell a Reploid what to do, you cannot. Though to be fair, we are students of Hylia's Grace Academy, our uniforms are what we choose to wear." Axl said with that same sass as he pulled out a tablet and pressed on the screen for a few moments.

What happened however was not what the teachers facing them would expect... As Axl made it clear that he was school compliant.

And to be completely honest and fair, Axl had his Hylia's Grace Academy uniform Custom-Made.

[Doctor Ciel]

Ciel listened with wide eyes and an alarmed expression on her face as Masuyo explained her predicament. Well, this certainly wasn't what she was expecting. And the more Masuyo explained, the more she--...Ciel paused and looked behind her. Did no one else follow her? Ffffffffffffudge.

iaKp9Ym1p_1d20+2 (Poof; Critical Stealth)

As she quietly listened though, she became aware that they weren't... alone. Her gaze silently trailed to the shadow of the approaching figure, and at that moment she realized she needed to beat it--or at the very least hide. Without making a sound, she very delicately slipped open a cabinet, curled up inside of it with her arms wrapped around her knees, and closed it without  making a sound. She'd just have to continue listening for the moment being.

Ciel 145/160 HP 50/50 Shield

1d20+2

[DLN-002-02 Roll Light]

Roll found her way to the school, only to have it get blocked by a couple of teachers. Man, if only she could just whip out a weapon and make them do what she says. She really wasn't in the mood for teachers or school related frustrations right now. As she glared up at the teachers and someone began banging at the other side of the door, trying to get out, she abruptly realized something.

...Wait, hold on this wasn't her normal school. This was a mission! That meant...

Roll-Roll bent down slightly and plucked her Roll Buster from beneath her skirt, attaching it to her arm. She then promptly aimed it at the teachers and the door. The focusing crystal at the end began to glow with power as she charged it up. “I'd back up a bit if I were you. I've got my hall pass right here~” she announced, a couple of moments before firing off a charge shot at the door and consequently the teachers!

mlgAAtRjp_1d20+4 (Charged Roll Buster; Does 33% Damage)

DCN-002 (DLN-002-02) Roll-Roll 110/170 HP 60/60 Shield Zenkai (+3 DMG, +1 Str/Wis)

1d20+4

[Fairy Leviathan]

Leviathan glanced back at Axl with a 'really?' look. She expected one of them to stay behind with Ciel. Oh well, that scientist wormed her way out of Neo Arcadia. Granted she had inside help but this should be a cakewalk comparatively. "... I'm not a student from their school or this school. Just a wandering free spirit here to check on one of your students," She shrugs at Axl declaring her a student before preparing her javelin as Roll prepared her buster. Sure this might be an extreme solution but considering the spooky fog and her doubting that anyone they leave behind will survive, if they are even real, she's ready to get her hands dirty herself.

Besides, they were giving the group a look that signified they weren't willing to talk and not exactly of nice purpose so she was going to have the first strike. "Sorry, but I think we found who we came here or at least someone helpful for so turning around is not an option. I would flee now if I were you," Leviathan remarked before shooting a few tips of her spear at the teachers to either hit or make them scatter enough to get to the girl.


CvmN8x|np_1d20+3(Leviathan Spear, 18%)

p_1d20+3^

p_1d20+3^^1d20+3·1d20+3·1d20+3