If there was something that Suijin Hajimoto was incapable of, it was saying no. She was incapable of denying help to others. No matter how swamped in work she may feel at any given moment, she would never say no to someone who was asking for help.
And by an extension of that fact, she could not bring herself to shift work to others either. It felt wrong for her to burden others with something that she could easily do herself.
It was a flaw. One that she had realized but could not do anything to fix.
Suijin found herself walking the streets Fujinomiya, a city located in the Shizuoka prefecture of Japan. One of its main claims to fame was its proximity to Mount. Fuji. She was not alone.
On her right, walking side by side with her on the sidewalk, was Genji Yukimura. They were both dressed in very casual outfits. Suijin, in a simple white dress and large straw hat, and Genji, in jeans and an oversized sweater.
Behind them, Yuri Hamanai trailed. He also, was in more formal attire, with a white suit and dress pants. He was also wearing his signature black sunglasses.
Suijin had always tried to nail the notion into Yuri's head that he should loosen up more often, however he never seemed to listen to her.
Despite the casual appearance of the three, they were still armed with their individual wands. Suijin's, was a flower hairpiece that hung from the right-side of her head. Genji's was a small compact ring, that at any moment could be transformed into a long, red spear. And Yuri's, was a pair of bracelets that he wore on both of his wrist, which on command, could instantly be transformed into a pair of dual pistols.
It was habit for all of them. Especially Yuri. He never seemed to leave anywhere without his wand.
It was an interesting phenomenon, because, in truth, they were never really in danger. Even now, as they walked down the streets of Fujinomiya, with its many interconnected paths and alleyways, and its buildings which were constructed so close together, they never once where under the threat of any real, pressing danger.
No one was going to try and lynch them.
No one was going to try and hurt them.
And yet, never, did these magicians part anywhere without their wands.
Atmosphere was always scarier than the action that preceded.
Now, one may propose the question, what exactly where these three doing walking around the streets, on a Saturday afternoon?
"Have we arrived yet?" Yuri Hamanai proposed the question as they turned another corner, emerging into another street that looked almost exactly like the last. Compact buildings. Multiple streets that veered off in different directions.
"Save for the names, everything about Japan has changed." Suijin used her extremely effective tactic of dodging the question, by beginning a new conversation. Although neither of the two walking with her pointed that at, as she always did it smoothly, and the conversations that it sparked were usually interesting. This led to the time being passed, and before they knew it, they would arrive. So, Genji and Yuri decided to listen in and participate in this conversation.
"Really?" Genji asked, prompting Suijin to continue.
Suijin nodded. "All of the old Japanese architecture, the old layout of the streets, they've all been changed. Not only has everything become more compact, but it's also become more advanced." As she spoked, the group walked by a garbage truck which was collecting trash. The truck would grab trash, before dumping it into the compartment. There, the trash would be met with an incineration spell, burning it until nothing was left. The smoke and methane gas that would be released from this interaction, was then funneled into tubes at the top of the truck. Where it would go through a process extremely similar to denitrification, where it would be transformed into usable mana that fueled this cycle.
With this, the old problem of landfills had been eradicated.
A few blocks down, a man could be seen tiling his lawn. However, instead painstakingly going over by hand, he simply watched as a machine went through.
A woman was working out in her yard, going through sets of different exercises. They were able to sense very tiny particles of mana inside her, a result from newly engineered weight-loss medicine that used small amounts of mana that carried out an extraction spell, so when they exited the body, they took the fat with them.
There was not a single place where magic didn't have its foot in.
"I believe it's like that everywhere. It would be impossible for someone born a hundred years ago to recognize any of the cities that we have now. The only thing that these new, revamped cities share aside from certain monuments, was their name.
"Hanging unto any shred of the past." Yuri commented. "It's not like I don't get where their coming from, but why not let it crumble?"
Genji nodded her agreement. As fate has it, at that moment they passed by a couple who seemed to be discussing the topic.
"Going around, destroying the last traces of human history? That is probably the most disrespectful thing a person could do." A young man dressed in biker attire with blonde hair said.
"It's not just the structure, but also what it stands for. The name, "Machu Pichu" and the structures themselves, mean a lot more than just tall structures. It's the only connection between the world before magic and this one."
The answer to Yuri's proposed question came in the form of a couple who passed by them on the sidewalk. They were discussing the hottest topic right now. The magician, or magicians, who were going around and taking down monuments of the human world. The latest target had been The Great Wall of China. Many figures of government have spoken out, calling them clear acts of terrorism.
"I believe that their doing this in retaliation to the terrorist attacks that have slowly been springing up across the world. I'm pretty sure there was one in a coffee shop in Sendai." The blonde man spoke again.
"Well, when some magicians go around doing shit like that, you can't really blame them for how harshly they react to some of us, can you?" Genji said in a pretty sarcastic tone.
"You can." Yuri replied, not a hint of humor in his voice.
"Look on the bright side, "The Greatest Knight" Julius, has made a statement that he was going to step in, and make sure to stop this terrorist." The woman's voice was a mixture of relief and nervousness.
The man simply scoffed, the cynicism and sarcasm in his tone evident. "A magician volunteering to solve a problem that his kind created. I'm so reassured." They couple had stepped out of the range of their hearing, and their voices faded away.
"Jullius has made a statement?" Yuri seemed equal parts shocked and happy at that. "If that's the case, then that idiot's days are numbered. If [[The Prince's]] words, as well as the legends are anywhere close to true, that man will not survive an encounter with The Greatest Knight."
Genji looked and Yuri in complete disgust. "I don't know who you want to bend you over more. Shindo, or Julius." She was met with two very heated glares, which she ignored. "Don't get on me for speaking the truth." She muttered to herself while pouting.
"On the topic of Shindo, I believe it would be the best if everyone stopped calling him, [[The Prince]]." Suijin noticed the questioning looks and elaborated. "Well, first of all, that nickname can only be taking a toll on him. Everyone treating him like a god, even though he's just a person. That's complete unfair, and unjust. It creates an air of fear around him that no person should ever have to deal with."
Yuri sighed. He was tired with the way the Suijin never seemed to care for herself, only the woes of others. "What does it matter? The nicknames fitting. The guy is a prodigy, a genius, a literal monster, by every sense of the word. Intimidating aura, unmatched magical prowess. But that's beside the point. Why do you insist on worrying so much about other people?" They all paused.
"You have bags under your eyes, slumped with work, and yet you still value other people above yourselves. I, I just don't get it."
For a split second, Suijin's eyes widened in shook, before her expression darkened. "And I'm tired of you always treating me like I'm above others. Every interaction with someone who isn't me, you cast them aside. It is your job to serve as the defense force captain, but that doesn't mean you need to put me on a pedestal above others. You even did it on the first day of school." Suijin immediately fired back. They both saw the logic in each other's words, and they both chose to ignore it.
"I do this, because it's my mission. My goal." Yuri said calmly. "Secondly, my reaction towards that Raiden guy, it was completely justified."
Suijin couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What are you talking about?"
"Because I recognized the look in his eyes. That empty, always calculating stare." He said it in pain, as if he was remembering a part of his past long hidden away.
"Raiden Chisaki, is someone who was trained from birth..."
"To be a cold-blooded killer."
The conversation ended. They had arrived at the restaurant.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
The man in the dark black coat stood atop of the clock tower, gazing down at the streets of london. . Just a few days ago, he had been standing on top of this building, sharing his opinion with the others. He had refrained from destroying it. He had refrained from showing London what true wrath looked like then.
He had spared them. However now, he had returned. After taking down The Great Wall, Machu Picchu, and the Wellington Arch. They were all statements. Move to show people that hanging on to old archaism was a false way of living.
"Destruction, is rebirth." The man muttered to himself. He prepared to take a step off of the tower, to drop down, and blow this thing away.
However, he was stopped by a presence that he felt. He looked to his left.
Tall. Blonde hair that swayed in the wind. Blue eyes. A longsword held in his hand. A white cloak hung from his body, flowing in the wind. His uniform was also white. A radiant smile.
And 1000 blades of light behind him.
Come to thwart the plans of the man in black, was a man in white. It was ironic juxtaposition.
"The Greatest Knight", Julius had arrived.