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DATE:3th of June, the 70th year after the Coronation
LOCATION: Concord Metropolis
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I kind of forgot about my journal. I saw my last entry has been when I confirmed that T was a pedophile. It's not that I was too emotionally affected to continue writing, just that nothing of not happened. Sure, the atmosphere was awkward to say the least, especially how much Alice glared at him during our "training", because yeah, our punishment apparently still hadn't ended. Screw the heroes.
Other than that, Emily has been researching her creator's associates, But that also didn't lead to much. Quite mysterious if I do say so, even more the fact she was programmed to not remember her creator's name so we couldn't even go that. Basically if I were to assume I would say that she had to search records of any genius that lived in this area in the last hundred years, but considering how they could have possibly erased any leads, it wasn't a surprise when nothing came up.
On the other hand, when she searched about the Donn, she did find about the same information I could while doing the same thing. One of the last of the old nobility of Concord, hailing from a barony, but on a lord's line of succession. These are small titles, but in practice it is about the highest level that remained except for the vicecounty of Cordon. Technically the elector king of the unified Kingdom rules over Concord as a count but he never bothered to step in this place. His residence is up in Nomandia, south of the Island Albion. Why would he bother going down to the border with Venta?
In his place the current ruler is technically the democratically elected mayor, But in practice the Royal Governor of Concord. The governor is really mysterious, as in, he never goes out without a suit covering his face. People say he has many scars or that he doesn't even exist and The King sends people to pose as a governor...
But anyway I am going on a tangent.
The Donn, or Donn Vicenzio Balmundi is the last of the Balmundi lordship, or the Balmundi Barony for that matter. His ancestor is a Ventian, so when the baron at the time of the conquest of Concord fled to Ventia, his territories were assimilated into the Concord county. When Venta was conquered too, He was submitted to the same treatment as the Concord count. So only the Lord of Balmundi remained. That position was just to give some title to the steward of his castle, a position which came to owned by a lower part of the Balmundi family. Quite a funny change.
The unified King didn't give him the Baron title.
The Donn used to be the richest man in Concord, now that title goes to Silvian Morris, the owner of BubbleTV, Vince interractive and many factories, including the Chip one I fought the disciple of Secundo Manus in. Or was it Mathew Morrigan? The one with a monopoly over pharmaceutical products and the owner of the chemical factory struck second by Secundo Manus? Hey, I am starting to see a pattern here...
If Mundi's former disciple struck two of the most important proprieties of the richest men in Concord, wouldn't the Donn be next?
Yes, his Maizo Commerce hubs are international banks. But what would Secundo Manus want from them?
It was a lie that they only dealt in economical activities. This is a fact that I knew since my short days under him, but the hubs made most of the money through illegal arms dealings. This is how he got hold of such a variety of equipment even if he doesn't own any meals to produce such objects.
His father, the Maizo group founder and still the lord Steward of Balmundi profited greatly from the words of conquest from years ago. Both the Unified army, the Concord royal guard and the Ventian people's army bought weapons from him. Not to mention the aquisitions beyond this continent.
The reason the Donn fell from the first place? Firstly, there is the limit that illegal activities get you to. The market for arms dealings is only so large, especially in a time of false peace like now. Even more is UltraMan's appearance. Associates of the Donn dawn used to control the underworld. They controlled the city itself, the police, the officials in charge...
Not even the Royal governor bothered to do anything. This is especially why people say he doesn't exist.
When the hero appeared, I read that the Donn tries to recruit him, but failed because of his morals. His associates were arrested one by one with only him remaining of the Old guard. Of course, villains still kept appearing but they were and part of his organization. It is a mystery who even made the Combine gang, or I suppose to combine Mafia due to their large size, but it wasn't the Donn. They took advantage of his weakened state and stole his control over the Underworld. The comedian was part of no group, but I also should say he is quite late to the stage.
Anyway, what I was trying to say is that the Donn wasted a lot of money on trying to kill UltraMan. I can't even imagine how he managed to take Astatine and make it in the shape of a bullet. How many billions of Zols did he burn through...
But all in all, his hideout is still a mystery. No matter, I will eventually find him. If I use that caffeine supplement no matter what he does I will be able to kill him. Now that I think about it, I should probably tell the changeling my general area. We didn't talk since I left the academy.
No actually, let's just keep it up " I'm still working on the solution". There is no need for her to know where I am.
I sat on the couch full of bruises from sparring with T. I didn't have any nightmares in a while. Was it because I won at that time? I asked Emily what she did and it was as I presumed. He used her own will to change what was happening. She was surprised when I managed to kill my father, but it only made sense. This is how I killed him the last time.
The last....
I...
Anyhow, I must find a way to take out T.
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DATE:4th of June, the 70th year after the Coronation
LOCATION: Concord Metropolis
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The chill of the Sunday morning air bit into my skin as we arrived at the opulent mansion's driveway, our breath visible in small clouds against the sandy air. The scene was eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the revelry that had filled these walls just hours ago. My team and I walked past the line of expensive cars parked outside, each one polished and gleaming under the weak light.
Inside, the place was grand and tastefully decorated, though now it felt cold, touched by death. A few scattered partygoers, still lingering in a dazed stupor from the night before, were being ushered away by the police as we approached the crime scene.
The body lay sprawled across the expensive parquet floor of a grand sitting room, illuminated by the morning light filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows. His clothes—a tailored suit that likely cost more than most people's yearly rent—were disheveled, and his face was frozen in a disturbing expression of fear and agony.
Prisma, ever the observer, bent down to examine the man's face. "It's strange," she murmured. "No obvious wounds… yet his expression—something must've terrified him to death."
T crossed his arms, his gaze cold as he took in the surroundings. "Anyone know who he is?"
Nimbus, hovering a bit off the ground with his cloud, chimed in, "His name's Ian Hale. Real estate tycoon, worth tens of million Zols. Apparently, he's been on the news for some shady deals, lawsuits, the whole nine yards. But this… looks like it's out of a horror story."
Alice frowned as she glanced around, studying the luxurious setting, the half-empty glasses, and the scattered remnants of an extravagant party. "Maybe someone here had a reason to be after him. We need to check with the guests and find out if anyone saw anything unusual."
As I studied the body, the air around us felt off, and I had an odd sensation prickling at the back of my neck. This was The work of a very good villain, possibly one who specialized in infiltration. It could be the Changeling, but I doubt it. She specializes in poisoning people, and this man doesn't appear like someone who would die from poison. Furthermore, her connections to the underworld are technically severed, but that could also be a lie. I suppose the laboratory test wouldn't hurt to confirm this theory.
T scanned the room, his sharp gaze locking onto the five people the police had identified as primary suspects. He motioned for us to gather close, lowering his voice so only we could hear.
"Alright, listen up. Here's the rundown on our five suspects. I want each of you to pay close attention—something about this whole thing stinks," T said, shooting a wary glance toward the guests still milling about in a daze.
He pointed to the first suspect, a tall, thin man standing near the fireplace, nervously adjusting his designer suit. "That's Victor Albright. Investment banker. Rumor has it, he lost a ton of money through Ian's recent business deals. Apparently, he was arguing with Ian just before the night's end."
Next, T gestured toward a striking woman with a severe expression and an air of quiet authority. "That's Cecilia Varro, Ian's personal assistant. She's been with him for over ten years, but word is she's sick of the job. She's threatened to leave a few times, apparently due to… well, disagreements over ethical practices."
He turned to a middle-aged man with an unkempt appearance, his shirt untucked and his face pale as he avoided eye contact with everyone around him. "That's Gregor Fields, a journalist. He's been working on an exposé about Ian for a while. Might've had something real juicy on him, and Ian had a habit of making threats to protect his image."
The fourth suspect was a younger woman, fidgeting with her phone and casting anxious glances at the doors. She had a nervous energy that set her apart from the others. "Leah Chen, junior lawyer. She represented some of the people suing Ian recently. Guessing she's not here for the fun of it; probably wanted to keep an eye on him. But she was seen with him late in the night, having some kind of heated discussion."
Finally, T's gaze landed on the last suspect—a man who looked far more composed than the rest, his posture relaxed and a slight smirk playing on his lips as he watched the proceedings with detached amusement. "And that's Damian Kross, Ian's oldest friend. They've been on and off in terms of business partners. They grew up together, but from what I've heard, they've had more than a few falling outs."
T turned back to us, his expression grim. "Each of these people has a reason to want Ian gone. Spread out and see what you can get out of them—discretely. This isn't just a murder case; if something bigger's going on, we need to sniff it out before anyone else gets hurt."
He straightened up, giving us each a pointed look. "Let's get to work."
I raised an eyebrow at T. "When did you even have the time to dig up all this info on the victim? We barely got here."
He smirked, folding his arms. "This just confirms why I'm the superior one here, Aionis. While the rest of you sat around doing nothing, I scanned every police report I could get on the way over. Unlike some people, I know how to multitask."
I fought back the urge to roll my eyes. He seemed pretty proud of himself, but it didn't matter how he got the info as long as we used it to figure out what was going on here.
I turned to T, trying to keep my expression neutral. "So, was it poison?" He raised an eyebrow at the question, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes, but replied flatly, "No, not poison. No visible injuries on him either-except for his eyes. They... look dead, like the life just drained out of them." So the Changeling wasn't at fault. You think I would know more about villains, but that is the thing, I used to be an assassin, not one of them. I in fact barely even stayed in Concord besides this job from the Donn so my connections are totally useless...
Hah, if only I would still deal with the small Ventian Warlords like in my early days...
Eyes that are lifeless.... This bullshit. How am I supposed to deal with a villain that can do something like that?
Yes, in this case it is either one that can instantly kill someone he touches, or possibly someone who can enter others minds and kill them from there. Of course there could be many other possibilities I am ignoring or incapable of seeing. I am not a genius, and especially I'm not proficient at investigation. I usually do the job that gets an investigation started in the first place.
While I was still deep in thought and unaware of what is happening, I get woken up by T his and his apparent failure to discuss with the suspects.
T took a step forward, his voice sharpened with authority. "Listen up. Leaving now is only going to make each of you look more suspicious. Cooperate, or you'll be giving us more reasons to believe you have something to hide."
Victor Albright, a middle-aged man with a steel gaze and even colder voice, folded his arms. "Spare me the intimidation tactics. Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" He looked T up and down. "I've got a city to run. If you plan to waste my time, you'll be hearing from my lawyers." He made a move toward the door, his gaze locked firmly ahead, as if T were invisible.
T clenched his fists but held his ground, attempting to redirect his energy toward Leah Chen, who was checking her watch impatiently. "Ms. Chen, we have reason to believe your cooperation could help us get to the bottom of this quickly," he said, his voice firm.
Leah rolled her eyes and glanced up, barely hiding her irritation. "And I have reason to believe that I should be in my office right now. This is a waste of everyone's time." She glanced around at the team with a smirk. "I think your little squad can handle some harmless questions without harassing us."
T opened his mouth to respond, but Damian Kross cut in, shrugging. "You want to accuse us of something? I'd love to see how that holds up in court," he said smoothly, his expression amused. "I have a call with a few… influential people, so if you're done throwing around accusations, I'll be on my way." He adjusted his designer watch with exaggerated slowness, as if daring T to stop him.
"You three aren't helping your cases," T warned, his patience waning.
But Victor only laughed coldly, dismissively. "We're done here," he said, giving one last contemptuous look to T and the team. The three suspects walked out, each with the confidence of someone who believed themselves untouchable.
T was getting cooked right now and I was all for it no matter how hard it made this job. Ah, seeing him lose to someone even more pompous and prideful, even someone empty like me can appreciate some reality check.
T's face was taut with frustration as he watched the suspects exit. He turned to the team, his voice clipped. "Alright, this is how it's going to go: we're splitting up. Aionis, you and Alice will handle Gregor Fields. From what we know, he works at BubbleTV, so see if you can leverage any mutual connections." He glanced briefly at Alice, unaware of her civilian identity as a designer there.
Alice gave a nod, her expression cool, concealing any familiarity with the place. She knew Gregor by name but had never interacted with him. She met my eyes, her resolve firm. "Ready whenever you are," she murmured.
T continued, "Meanwhile, I'll speak with Cevillia Varro myself. She might be more inclined to share with someone who actually respects authority." He shot me a glare, clearly not trusting the my approach. "Let's meet back here in an hour for updates."
As T walked off, Alice whispered to me, "Think Gregor's our best shot?"
I shrugged. "Depends on how well he handles pressure."
As T strode off to find Cevillia Varro, I heard him calling back to Prisma and Nimbus, "You two, take the mansion. I want a thorough sweep for any clues. No detail is too small."
Prisma gave a quick nod, her eyes already darting around the opulent hallways. "Got it. We'll see what we can turn up," she replied confidently. Nimbus, a bit more hesitant, glanced at us, nodding in agreement. "We'll start from the victim's room and work our way out. If there's anything unusual, we'll spot it."
Alice gave them a small smile. "Be careful. Places like this are all about show; you never know what's lurking behind the luxury."
Nimbus gave her a quick thumbs-up as he and Prisma turned toward the grand staircase, heading up to the second floor. This boy was doing surprisingly well for being presumably violated multiple times by the "black master". Did I mention T was dark skinned? I like John much more, but I suppose it is hard to lose to a pedophile.
As Alice and I stepped into the dimly lit room, the air felt thick with tension. The lavish paintings on the walls seemed to stare down at us, silently judging our every move. Gregor Fields was seated casually, his relaxed demeanor strikingly out of place considering the circumstances. I could feel my muscles tighten as I prepared to question him.
"Thanks for meeting with us, Gregor," I started, crossing my arms. "We have some questions about the party last night."
He leaned back in his chair, a smirk creeping onto his face. "Questions? You think I'm some kind of suspect? I was just there for the free drinks."
Alice shot him a serious look, her voice cutting through his bravado. "This isn't a joke, Gregor. A man is dead, and you might have information that could help us understand what happened."
He shrugged, nonchalant as ever. "Okay, okay. I was at the party. I talked to the guy a bit, but I didn't know him well. What do you want to know?"
I leaned in, the weight of the investigation pressing on my shoulders. "What time did you last see him?"
"Right before the lights went out, I think. We were all mingling, and then—bam! Suddenly, it was like a scene out of a horror movie." His mockingly dramatic tone grated on me, but the slight twitch in his eye hinted at something deeper. "People screaming, glasses shattering. I wasn't sticking around for that."
Alice narrowed her eyes at him. "Did you notice anything unusual about him? Or anyone else at the party?"
"Unusual?" Gregor raised an eyebrow. "Everyone was a little tipsy, if that's what you mean. But the victim? He seemed fine, maybe a bit on edge, but who wouldn't be at a rich people's party?"
I caught Alice's eye, silently urging her to press harder. "Did you see anyone arguing with him? Any strange behavior?"
Gregor hesitated, glancing toward the door as if expecting someone to burst in. "Look, I saw him talking to a couple of people—Cevillia, I think, and that Victor guy. But honestly, it's a party. People talk, they argue. I don't pay much attention to it."
"Was anyone acting suspicious?" I pressed, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
"Define 'suspicious.'" He leaned forward, that smirk returning. "Everyone was rich and pretentious. That's kind of their thing. But if you're asking if I saw someone with a knife or poison, no. You'll have to look elsewhere for that."
Alice's gaze hardened, her determination palpable. "You're not telling us everything, Gregor. What's your relationship with the victim? You seem awfully calm for someone who just saw a man dead."
Gregor crossed his arms defensively, leaning back again. "I didn't know him well enough to care, honestly. Maybe I'm just not as emotional as you."
I exchanged a glance with Alice, frustration growing. We weren't getting much from him, but I could tell he was hiding something beneath that nonchalant exterior.
"We'll find out what happened one way or another," I said, standing up. "If you remember anything, you know how to reach us."
As we left the room, Alice murmured, "Something doesn't sit right with him. We need to keep digging."
"Agreed," I replied apathetically. What was more annoying than anything about this case? Was that the killer could still be at the party. At that point why would we even stay split up and waiting to be ambushed? At the same time He's pay grade could also be too high to waste his time on some heroes, so who knows.
As Alice and I stepped back into the hallway, and A few moments later, T emerged from the room, his expression a mix of frustration and annoyance. He ran a hand through his hair, looking more disheveled than usual. "You won't believe this," he started, his voice low and edged with irritation. "Cevillia was as tight-lipped as a clam. All she did was talk about her latest fashion line and how busy she was. It's like she didn't even register that someone died."
Alice crossed her arms, her brows furrowing. "Did she give you anything at all?"
"Just the same old line about being shocked and saddened. I pressed her about her interactions with the victim, but she deflected every question. It's infuriating," T replied, his frustration palpable.
I couldn't help but feel a swell of amusement inside me. "So we're back to square one? You'd think one of these people would actually care enough to give us a hint about what happened."
"Exactly," T snapped, pacing a few steps before stopping. "And to top it off, Victor and Damian practically laughed in my face when I suggested they might have seen something suspicious. They act like they're above all this. Like they can just waltz away because they have money and influence." you actually deserve this kind of treatment you bastard. I'm not even angry at them.
Alice shook her head. "It doesn't make sense. Why would they just leave? It feels like they're hiding something."
"Right?" T said, turning his attention to us. "It's as if they think we're just some glorified babysitters. I don't think they realize we're here to find out who killed a man."
"We have to dig deeper," I said, my resolve hardening. "We can't let this slide just because they're playing games. We need to figure out who was actually close to the victim and what their motives might be." I may even find some way to kill this man "by accident".
T nodded, his expression shifting to one of determination. "I agree. We should regroup with Prisma and Nimbus and see what they found while we were busy chasing shadows."
Alice glanced at me, a spark of hope in her eyes. "Maybe they'll have something useful. We need to connect the dots before it's too late."
"Let's head back," I said, pushing away from the wall. "We can't let them think they can intimidate us or brush us off. We're going to find the truth, no matter how long it takes." But it was a lie. Truly, in this case it was impossible to find what happened. Normally you would look for inconsistencies in investigation, but three of the suspects didn't even want to see us, let alone say anything of note. Even the ones that stayed had such an apathetic attitude that they were useless for the investigation. In such a case, you could only think that perhaps some or all of them work together to kill the man, but how do you even prove something like that? And the fact we were called meant that a villain was involved. This meant that even if one of them was involved, there was no way to confirm it besides the villain saying it himself. But even that is unlikely to hold in a court.
This was an impossible case to solve no matter how you look at it, But perhaps there isn't even a reason to try and do that...
The moment the scream echoed through the opulent halls, I felt a spark of annoyance, but I pushed it aside and sprinted toward the sound with Alice and T at my heels. As we reached the top of the staircase, I pushed open a grand door, the creak of the hinges almost mocking the urgency of the moment.
Inside, the sight that greeted us was unsettling but far from surprising. Prisma lay sprawled on the floor, lifeless, her eyes wide open in a glassy stare. Blood trickled from her nose, ears, and the corners of her mouth, creating a crimson halo around her head. It was a horrifying scene. I felt a stir of irritation at the sight, but I masked it well, forcing my features into a semblance of concern.
"Prisma!" Alice gasped, her voice trembling as she knelt beside her. I hung back, observing rather than reacting, letting the panic wash over her while I maintained my cool exterior.
"This can't be happening," Alice stammered, tears welling in her eyes. I watched her, feigning concern but feeling absolutely nothing beneath the surface. T's fists were clenched, his anger palpable as he scanned the room.
"Whoever did this can manipulate minds," I thought, a cold calculation settling in my gut. "Either they can invade minds mentally, or they have the ability to physically manifest within them." I couldn't afford to be rattled by emotions; after all, Prisma's death was merely an obstacle in our path.
"Let's go," I said, my voice steady, betraying none of the irritation bubbling beneath the surface. "This isn't safe. If they can take out Prisma this way, we're next."
T nodded sharply, a fire igniting in his eyes. "We need to find the others and regroup. This is bigger than we thought."
Alice's face twisted in despair. "We can't let this be in vain. We need to figure out who did this and stop them."
I suppressed a sigh, unwilling to let her emotional turmoil infect my own thoughts. "Sure, let's move," I urged, adopting a tone of urgency. "We have to stay one step ahead of whoever did this."
As we hurried back through the mansion, I couldn't shake the feeling of annoyance. Prisma's death was just an inconvenience—a distraction from the real mission. I needed to maintain the façade of mourning for Alice's sake, but deep down, I was irritated by how this would complicate our objectives.
The villain behind this was clearly more dangerous than we'd anticipated, but whatever emotional fallout was affecting my team? That was their problem, not mine.
In a dimly lit bedroom tucked away from the chaos, we found Nimbus, crouched in a wardrobe, his small frame shaking, tears streaking his face. The fear in his eyes was unmistakable, and I could see he was in no shape to handle what had just happened to Prisma.
T stormed over, fists clenched as he glared down at him. "You'd better pull yourself together, Nimbus. This isn't a time to fall apart. Prisma's dead, and if you don't toughen up, you'll be next." His tone was brutal, a bark that did more damage than any comforting word could undo.
I clenched my jaw, holding back my thoughts. It was painfully obvious to me that Nimbus's reaction had less to do with Prisma's death and more to do with the abuse he'd endured from his so-called leader. T had no idea, of course, nor did he care to see it, and I knew there was no point saying any of this aloud. T had been on him for a while now, and seeing him cower like this was probably more because of T's "discipline" than any immediate fear for his life.
Nimbus looked away, unable to meet T's gaze, still clutching his knees. Alice, standing beside me, had a look of sympathy mixed with frustration, clearly disturbed by T's lack of basic humanity.
"We'll handle it," I said, stepping between them. "Why don't you go scout around, see if there's anything else suspicious nearby?"
T glared at me, but after a moment's hesitation, he turned on his heel and left. Nimbus glanced up at me, eyes wide with gratitude and relief, though he quickly looked down again.
I crouched beside him, keeping my voice low. "We're going to get through this, Nimbus. Just take a breath. Don't worry about him."
Alice stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We're all in this together. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." She cast a bitter look in the direction T had gone, her expression saying everything she wouldn't say aloud.
Nimbus gave a small nod, visibly calming under our words. It was clear he needed this more than he let on. But it's not like I cared about what happened to him. I so many children being raped. Most mercenaries are really bad people. I remember one time when I was stationed in the southern desert...-
Well there's no need to get into that.
I found it moronic that we still looked for that villain. We are easy targets. We should just leave, but the oh so prideful T wouldn't like that. It would be like a meeting. He was powerless in front of this enemy.
By the time we reached ground floor, T had gotten ahead of us by quite a few steps and something that surprised me even more happened. He was hit by a fireplace axe from a figure waiting to ambush him at the corner. By the time we reached him his attacker had left, blending into the remaining suspects policeman and guests. And T? He had his face cut in half by the axe or I suppose almost. His head was almost splintered into two parts, the one with his mouth and the back. Only a sliver of skin still kept his head in one piece. What was happening today? We lost two members in one go?
Alice fell to her feet and started crying, and Nimbus? He had a look the nothing closer disgust than anything.
The most frustrating thing about this whole case. If we were to think like heroes and butter to solve it is that we wouldn't be able to find who killed our supposed leader. By this point the killer could be someone else other than the villain, who thought we would uncover some other well kept secret. Even if he was our killer, he could have plenty in with the suspects. He could be one of them. Maybe his power is not like the changeling, and he can enter someone's dream. How would we find him if his physical body is not here? Or if we came to the psyker theeory, what if he controlled someone else to kill T and this whole thing is a ruse? There are just so many options and we have such little information. This is exactly why it was moronic to still remain in this place. I guess he got what he deserved.
The worst part was the royale police who supposedly called us here.
It's not that they are useless because they are corrupt, UltraMan purged most of that, but they are an outdated construct. They operate more so as "investigators", but don't actually patrol and they have only one Station for the whole of Concord. They were supposed to be retainers of the Count of Concord and the King didn't change that. He just made them subservient to the governor.
The actual "police" is just armed militia. Sure, UltraMan purged most of the gang affiliated ones, but is that really any help?
I know this seems anticlimactic, but with a team of B-listers( outside of Alice), we really couldn't do anything more. I had the heart find not cracking up at how useless the hero team was. This is technically friendly fire considering I and included in it, but I can afford it. I know I am a no one.
Of course, SuperiorWoman didn't like the news, but I am not sure if she realizes how ominous this was. Maybe Karma will finally get her too, not that I believe myself in it. Of course, that can also be countered. From what I know the worst thing Prisma did was overwork herself so not totally worth it.
Me and Alice were supposed to have a date night afterwords, but there was no mood for it.
That night I once again found myself back in the void.