Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 4, Part 3

[Oldmansour]

>"That, I wouldn't be able to answer; I've only spoken to her briefly. Though she did mention knowing someone 'a very long time ago', however long her frame of reference is."

>"Long enough to stretch back to the Dark Ages, at least."

[DracoOmega]

>How long ago were the Dark Ages, anyway?

[Oldmansour]

>How long ago were the Dark Ages, anyway?

.

>The Dark Ages encompasses the years 3116 to 3857. From the end of it to the current year is a difference of one thousand three hundred and ninty years.

[DracoOmega]

>"Old memories have a long reach lately."

[Oldmansour]

>"Old memories have a long reach lately."

>"Mmm." Kanako replies as she pours the last of her bottle of sake into her cup. "History cycles around isn't just something teachers say to sound smarter."

[DracoOmega]

>"I think they usually mean it less literally than this."

>"But I meant what I said earlier; whether or not you deserve to die for your actions, there is no wound in the heart of a kind-hearted person that can be salved by having them kill her own parents. Not even one who was betrayed by them. Can anyone ever do such a thing and not be scarred by it?"

[Oldmansour]

>"I think they usually mean it less literally than this."

>"But I meant what I said earlier; whether or not you deserve to die for your actions, there is no wound in the heart of a kind-hearted person that can be salved by having them kill her own parents. Not even one who was betrayed by them. Can anyone ever do such a thing and not be scarred by it?"

>"It's the only option she has left. The only other way to really hurt me would be to beat me in war. And since that isn't going to happen, that brings us back to the first option."
>"Besides... She might have been a kind-hearted person. Now, though?" Kanako shakes her head. "No. No, that girl died long ago. In some ways, the Avatar of Air is a ghost. Back for revenge. And she'll either get it, or you'll have to kill her to stop her. I can only think of one way where you wouldn't have to kill her to stop her from killing me and Suwako."

[DracoOmega]

>"And what is that?"

[Oldmansour]

>"And what is that?"

>"If you killed us."

[DracoOmega]

>"No. And if you see no other alternative, I will just have to find one myself. Whatever horrors Sanae suffered long ago, I refuse to accept that every part of the bright-eyed and brave girl I met yesterday is gone for good."

[Oldmansour]

>"No. And if you see no other alternative, I will just have to find one myself. Whatever horrors Sanae suffered long ago, I refuse to accept that every part of the bright-eyed and brave girl I met yesterday is gone for good."

>"She must have made quite an impression on you."

[DracoOmega]

>"A good friend of mine became an Avatar this morning also. To believe that the people they were are gone for good is tantamount to saying they died there this morning. While we watched and could do nothing. I won't accept that."

[Oldmansour]

>"A good friend of mine became an Avatar this morning also. To believe that the people they were are gone for good is tantamount to saying they died there this morning. While we watched and could do nothing. I won't accept that."

>"I think you might need to accept that." Kanako says as she swirls her milky sake. "You can't save everyone. Trust me. I know. If you can't learn to live with it, it will kill you."

[DracoOmega]

>"So long as a shred of hope remains, I will try."

[Oldmansour]

>"So long as a shred of hope remains, I will try."

>"She already found a way to do something everyone thought couldn't be done: fix a youma without killing it." White Rose informs Kanako. "She'll find a way to fix people, too."
>"Don't let yourself get killed trying." Kanako tells you.
>White Rose straightens up a bit. "And I won't let that happen."

[DracoOmega]

>"If Sanae can still be helped, we will find a way; I promise you this. And thank you for speaking with us. I look forward to doing so again in better circumstances."

[Oldmansour]

>"If Sanae can still be helped, we will find a way; I promise you this. And thank you for speaking with us. I look forward to doing so again in better circumstances."

>"You're off, then?"

[DracoOmega]

>"I think so; unless you had something else you wanted to say?"

[Oldmansour]

>"I think so; unless you had something else you wanted to say?"

>"Mmm. Don't think of it as a loss, if Sanae manages to kill me. It doesn't mean you failed. I accept it."

[DracoOmega]

>"We define failure on our own terms."
>Assuming she has nothing else to say, bid farewell and take our leave of this place.

[Oldmansour]

>"We define failure on our own terms."
>Assuming she has nothing else to say, bid farewell and take our leave of this place.

>"Don't lose any sleep over me." she replies, knocking back the last of her sake. This time, when she rocks backwards, she is unable to arrest her momentum, and the blue haired woman falls over backwards. "I've had this coming for a long time... Wonder if she knew.... that I was... sorry...." Her voice trails off as the energy leaves her body, her cup slipping out of her hands. She definitely has nothing else to say for a while.
>With her incapacitated and Suwako not likely to be any more receptive of your company now, you and Rin re-board your individual flying discs and take off into the air. There's much more of a crowd down at the door now, and their attention is not on Yuugi. They react audibly and visibly to the sight of you and White Rose once you come into view.

[DracoOmega]

>Their attention is not on Yuugi? Is that only in the sense that we caught their attention, or is there anything else going on that we can tell?

[Oldmansour]

>Their attention is not on Yuugi? Is that only in the sense that we caught their attention, or is there anything else going on that we can tell?

>Nothing else. You may simply have drawn some attention to yourself when you and Rin flew up the side of the building.

[DracoOmega]

>Surely it can't be that odd to see people flying around in this city, between the tengu and bird youkai and fairies and magicians and so forth? Are we just flashier about it?
>In any case, it's time to go cell phone shopping! So that we will finally have a number to give people. (Feel free to land somewhere less crowded on the way)

[Oldmansour]

>Surely it can't be that odd to see people flying around in this city, between the tengu and bird youkai and fairies and magicians and so forth? Are we just flashier about it?
>In any case, it's time to go cell phone shopping! So that we will finally have a number to give people. (Feel free to land somewhere less crowded on the way)

>Technically, yes. Most people that fly around the city don't use magic to do it. That would be normal in Muenzuka, but much less so in Mayoiga. Plus, let's not forget, you were on the news today as well.
>This being a very modern city, there are any number of locations where one might acquire a cell phone. Some places more... seedy than others. Presumably you would prefer somewhere more aboveboard?

[DracoOmega]

>Somewhere aboveboard, yes. And get a proper smartphone this time, one capable at least of bringing up a proper interactive city map. This could be an important feature in our Lotus work;  we can be budget-conscious otherwise, but tactical advantages are not the place to be scrimping.

[Oldmansour]

>Somewhere aboveboard, yes. And get a proper smartphone this time, one capable at least of bringing up a proper interactive city map. This could be an important feature in our Lotus work;  we can be budget-conscious otherwise, but tactical advantages are not the place to be scrimping.

>About how much were you looking to spend?

[DracoOmega]

>Whatever this costs from a non-sketchy source. We can be frugal about snazziness, and there's certainly no need to go for trendy brands, so long as it meets these baseline requirements.

[Oldmansour]

>Whatever this costs from a non-sketchy source. We can be frugal about snazziness, and there's certainly no need to go for trendy brands, so long as it meets these baseline requirements.

>Quite a number of the people in the crowd below you actually try to follow you and White Rose as you fly in a westerly direction, but you have a bit of an edge in mobility over them, and lose them with little effort. Always seems like you've got fans following you around. White Rose remarks. Once you're certain you've lost pursuit, you and Rin set down in a secluded back yard to travel the rest of the way on foot.
>After a twelve minute walk, somewhat delayed by your need to take a less direct route so as not to draw any more attention to yourself, you arrive at your destination, a branch of the Yamato-wide electronics chain Power Source. It's one of Nitori's favourites. Not only does it carry modern supplies, it also caters to those who prefer older video games.
>With some assistance from a pretty if somewhat nerdy shopkeeper, you eventually narrow your choices down to a serviceable machine, which is currently on sale for $215 after taxes, or a fancier gizmo with a number of extra bells and whistles for $375 after tax.

[DracoOmega]

>Are any of the bells and whistles anything we especially care about? If not, opt for the more affordable one.