Love! Magic! Peace! Light! The Magical Girl (and Knight) Convention!

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Jumi quietly watched the transformation and the initial use of the sword.  She could not give a lot of specific advice though.  “It will mostly be up to you to figure out the nature of your power.  It is different for each of us.  I can not tell you everything you are capable of, though your powers are likely all to be related one way or another.”  Of course, even in this open area they still had to be careful, not do anything that might be destructive.  “You may or may not have any powers independent of the sword or wings.  It’s the sort of thing you have to figure on your own.  Feeling the power inside you, learning how to control it.  I’m guessing you can use the sword to make that energy a ranged attack, but that is obviously something to test later.”  That was the extent of what she was capable of guessing.  Any other powers would be as much a surprise for her as it would for Mitsuko.

[Warning]

Mitsuko nodded to Jumi's advice while Nall said nothing, probably feeling like she had covered most of what the girl could potentially learn right now. Although, the aura around the sword seemed to exude her strength, it was likely nothing compared to what she could do. Nonetheless, she had signed her magic entrance as a magical girl, now. Nall could only smile while watching her until he moved to land on her shoulder, sorta. "It's good, you seem to have gotten a start with it already. There's much ahead of you.", he told her.

She only turned her head a little to eye him... He was right but she didn't know if he referred to anything in particular, yet. It was clear that he was her erm... pet? She was not sure what he was but he looked like a cat anyhow. Surely he knew more about who was after her. "Nall... About a girl named Lenneth..." Nall's eyes widened at the mention of the name, staring at her for a bit like a scaredy cat. "You've met with Lenneth...?", he asked, it seems like he knew. Mitsuko nodded gently. Nall gained a seriously look, "She is a Valkyrie."

The name was familiar. Valkyries were warriors of the gods. They could be considered gods or goddesses themselves according to the legends and mythologies. Something Mitsuko had studied in, back at her academy. "She tried to kill me... I am only alive thanks to a miracle.", Mitsuko told him and Nall only kept his serious expression, figuring quickly that the sword had protected her. His eyes shifted toward Jumi, wondering if she knew about it. "She is no small threat. Though she looks... small. You have to be careful, Mitsuko."

The warning was taken seriously. Especially with the expression Nall was giving her. He did not seem worried for her to come back soon, at least. It did not mean she would not come back. For the time being, Nall flew off and went to Jumi, wondering about what else she knew, considering what she had given advice to Mitsuko about. He was not familiar himself with magical girls or even the world itself. "So you have magic, too...? Are there other ones with magic?", he questioned curiously, really seeming like he didn't know much.

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

The subject of Lenneth finally came up.  That was something, but not much.  But maybe could tell them more in the future, since as Jumi suspected, he knew who she was.  Hopefully he could give them some idea of the reason behind the attack and ways to help fight her if they had too.

But those questions were interrupted by what he asked her.  He said he had been asleep a long time.  It would possibly be complicated to explain it.  “Oh, yes.  A whole bunch in this building.  How should I put it?  It is something like a celebration of such people.  Normally we are much more spread out, only very small groups in each area.”  She was not sure just how little he knew.  How tiny of a fraction of the total population it was.  There were many here for the convention, but even then, a tiny fraction of the people in the building, compared to the crowd.

[Warning]

Nall's eyes widened again as he looked genuinely surprised. "A whole bunch...? It's amazing. So, the world is abound with magic.", he said, quite satisfied with the answer about how many magic users who existed in one place. Or in the world in general. He was however unaware that magical girls had their own war against demons and other enemies of varying strength levels. It's something Mitsuko could relate to as she was new into this life but she at least knew what magical girls were doing for everyone, with their power.

Nall seemed to realize he was as much an outsider as they were to him and he thought giving them a moment to get answers would be good. There were special looking humans around, among the fans who looked more normal, in a sort of way, but no creature like him were around. At the same time, he was and felt special anyway. "Maybe you have questions. I don't mind telling you what I can. Only one rule, you can't ask if I am a cat. Because I'm not. I may like fish but that does not make me a cat.", he precised seriously.

Mitsuko blinked, finally putting her sword and its power away but remained transformed, wondering more about Nall now. If he was not a cat, despite looking like one, what was he? Although, Mitsuko was in no way knowledgeable about magical creatures. A cat also normally didn't have wings or this fur pattern. "Wait so... What are you, then?" Mitsuko finally asked and Nall grinned in a playful manner, like he expected the question from a mile away. Who would not? "Maybe she knows...?", he teased Jumi, begging for a guess.

Edited June 30 by Warning

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Jumi did not know, but as a veteran Magical Girl, she did have one good guess that seemed more likely than others.  “A Guardian Beast?”  A concept Mitsuko had already been briefly informed about, in her conversation with Alexandrine.  Though they were more physically impressive.  That or some kind of spirit?  That was the sort of thing some individuals or teams had.  Sometimes as the aActual source of their power, though this was only seemed to indirectly fit that role.  Jumi waited to see if Nall confirmed or denied the Guardian Beast guess though.

[Warning]

Nall was staring at Jumi when she answered, not giving a clear expression about if she was right or not. "A Guardian Beast? I like the sound of that.", he simply said, not really clarifying further. His answer was cryptic but he moved on and asked, "Any other questions?", which made Mitsuko look more or less confused about what they were told so far. Or was he hiding something...? Only now, she started to think about if she was able to trust this cat or rather... this non-cat. But perhaps it wasn't the time for such thoughts.

Mitsuko advanced on something more serious if he was not going to do so and she felt like Jumi would benefit from hearing more. The information they had gotten so far were barely useful except to affirm how powerful her opponent was. "Tell us more about Lenneth. What do you know...?", she questioned. Nall turned to her but she was not in the mood for jokes and he quickly figured, judging by his ears moving down. "Lenneth Valkyrie. She is the daughter of an evil god who can't interfere with humans.", he said.

Mitsuko was already not liking where it was going. Magical Girls and Knights sometimes fought threats that were unimaginable to the common humans. She was only discovering more and more of it now. Nall continued with the explanations, "Althena sent me and the sword to your world when she noticed a plot unfolding that would put your kind in danger. One gifted human would be chosen, Althena's chosen, to fight Odin's Valkyrie.". Nall revealed to them the game of the gods. But Mitsuko took one step back.

Why would she be chosen? True, she had studied in mythology or legends but she was not the only student. Was it part of what Elly had told her before? Humans faced many threats, this was nothing new to magic gifted heroes. But this one threat implied her. Mitsuko's eyes shifted to Jumi, feeling a little lost in what she was supposed to do yet she was not ready to give up. Even if her fate was to fight Lenneth, there was much that she could do to help her new friends as well. "I... I see. Thank you for telling us, Nall."

Edited July 2 by Warning

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Now it was gods?  There were stories of course, legends, some Magical Girls or Knights supposedly connected to gods, though as far as Jumi knew no one alive at least had even seen one.  Their enemy was supposedly the child of one?  That for better or worse did not seem completely unbelievable to her.  “Daughter of an evil god and what?”  A child of a god was problematic either way.  But the child of two gods was presumably much more dangerous than the child of one and something else.  It was worth asking just to get some idea of the enemy’s power or maybe the other parent’s identity would tell them more about her.

[Warning]

Mitsuko blinked at the question, turning to Jumi. Nall also seemed surprised for a bit before he spoke, "Weeeeeell... She is not exactly his daughter... Not by human definitions. You noticed her ears and her tail, didn't you?", he asked Mitsuko mainly who nodded, having clearly seen such details before she was flung outside of her bedroom in the worst manner. "I bet she was made a cat to spite me.", he pouted for a second, closing his eyes but soon opened one eye and looked at the two before he returned to being serious.

"I heard she had been sleeping for a long time before she was awakened.", he finally said, explaining why she had never shown up until recently. Mitsuko pondered about what they knew so far. "So she is a Valkyrie sent to attack us and this Althena sent that sword to me... Then you're... Althena's guardian?", she asked, curiously to the flying cat who wasn't a cat. Nall nodded to the question, though. "You have been blessed by Althena and so, I am now your guardian.", he revealed and smiled, seeming to enjoy the situation.

Mitsuko looked at Jumi next, still showing concerns. "How many enemies are we fighting against...? I heard about demons before but now, gods...?", she had to ask while Nall widened his eyes as he heard the one word, "Wait, you said demons? There are monsters, too...?", he asked, with some fear in his voice. Apparently, Nall was starting to learn about the reality of the world as well. The word monster didn't even faze Mitsuko at this point... She really had no idea what kind of threats magical girls and knights fought so bravely.

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Not exactly what Jumi would call a daughter.  But with gods and their creations and such, the line between what was and was not a child could be rather blurry.  Jumi was going to dwell on that, or be picky about terminology, letting the other two talk about that, especially since Mitsuko had been chosen for this apparently, maybe had some special role.  Jumi would certainly help, but her connection to this was a little more indirect.

Demons, and other enemies however, that was another matter, one she was already deeply involved in.  “Well, it depends on what you mean by ‘we’.”  Whether the question was about Magical Girls/Knights in general, or their team specifically.  “Things are rather quiet back home, if that’s what you mean.  We do regular patrols, occasionally find random demons or other monsters.  But it isn’t like there any demon general there preparing to attack, or anything like that.  That could change in future, why we do our patrols.  But at the moment, this Lenneth is the only thing to really worry about.”

[Warning]

Mitsuko took into consideration what Jumi told her and nodded, knowing that she might have been thrown into a fight she was not ready for. But not only that... As she had feared, she was also involving others with her. At the same time, the chances she would win by herself would be none. Lenneth was sent to cause troubles but also to take care of her, which she thankfully failed to do even though she could have done much more to eliminate her. Maybe she was waiting to see if she could challenge her somehow...

Looking at Nall, Mitsuko reached to pet him on the head. "We will do what we can... For now, we are in good hands. I'm afraid but I will not lay down if Lenneth attacks...", she said, not too confidently but still true to her words. Admitting defeat before she even started would go against everything she was hoping to achieve, now. Forcing a smile, she looked at Jumi next. "Right, well... Maybe we should think about better things for now, shall we?", she tried to change the mood, not wanting to dwell on something bad.

Nall simply nodded, letting Mitsuko pet him while he watched Jumi as well. "I will be at her side to help her, too.", he told them before he moved to go sit down and rest his wings. Mitsuko smiled a little more honestly, keeping her eyes on Jumi. "A lot happened in no time... I'm glad, though. My mother would never believe it but it's best I don't tell her anything... I can't worry her. Let's do something fun. Anything you have in mind.", she spoke softly while Nall only watched them curiously, wondering what they would do.

Edited July 4 by Warning

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

"Parents or other family are generally only told if it's a 'family tradition'."  Jumi pointed out what Mitsuko had probably already realized.  There were cases where a Magical Girl and/or Knight had children that were the same, though it was fairly rare these these days.  Or siblings that both had power, like poor Alexandrine.  That was not the case with Mitsuko though, just like it had not been with Jumi.  That was why being on a team was so important though. Having others who knew, that you could talk to about such things.  "That's why the old tradition was arranged marriages between Magical Girls and Knights.  But only a few really traditional families still try to do that."  Not something either of them were likely to do, especially with Mitsuko's preferences being what they were.

"As for fun.  There is the possibility of what I suggested earlier.  Two birds with one stone.  Best to look at it as games of a sort, but also works to give you a little training.  Both with the sword, and flying as well."  Separate events for both, but somewhat connected, and they would help Mitsuko with a few goals she had at the same time.

[Warning]

Mitsuko opened her eyes wide when she heard of the arranged marriages. Obviously, that didn't apply to her but that was still surprising to hear. "I don't think I'm ready for that... Or willing to try that ever.", she only commented. Nall himself seemed confused but since the custom was precised to be an old tradition, he did not think anything of it. As for the response about fun, Mitsuko remembered the challenges she was told about before. "Right... I will surely try, then. Please remind me when I can do so...?", she asked Jumi, to make sure of when that event was taking place. It sounded like that was soon enough and she wanted to be ready for it. "I'm not sure if I'm ready to try my wings, though. They have grown a bit since the first time but I have no control over them...", Mitsuko said, looking back at her wings, which also got Nall's attention. The winged cat turned around her to look at her.

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

That was the thing about arranged marriages, Mitsuko would likely already at least be engaged in one, if not married if she was going to go through with it.  “Well, we’ll see if you ever have a child, and if he or she has any power.  You can tell them, if you do.”  Jumi joked, not really expecting Mitsuko to ever have a child either.  “Though your power comes at least primarily from an external source, so they may or may not inherit anything.”  She added as a follow up, though again one that might not be relevant.  Though it was not impossible enough use of her power could give Mitsuko at least a little power independent of it.

“It’s all surprisingly natural, after you do it a little while.”  Jumi began floating upwards as her wings flapped, though only a few feet in the air.  She slowly moved towards the crowd, though she would not be able to do it especially long.  “We can do the other event whenever you are ready.  I can lead the way if you are.”  It was not something to sign up for.  They just had to go over and see if there was an opening.  If there was not, it would just be a short wait.

[Warning]

Mitsuko looked even more shocked than before with where Jumi was going with this. Even if it was not intended as an actual suggestion or possibility. "I-I'm not planning for a child...!", she said a bit loudly, even making Nall stare at her for a bit. As the bit on Mitsuko's powers came up however, Nall turned to Jumi and replied, "Her power comes from the blessing of Althena... But Mitsuko also has a lot of potential. This is why she was chosen in your world to wield the sword.", trying to explain the girl's powers to them.

Mitsuko wasn't sure if she had any potential of her own but surely she had something. She felt stronger in general but she didn't know if it was from the sword's power or from anytime before that. Anyhow, she looked at Jumi. "I will do what I can... I'm ready to try. I'm transformed and many have seen me in this form now. I will show what I can do...", she told her, seeming confident enough. There was nothing to worry about and failing would not or should not put her in grave danger. It was the best time for her to start.

Edited July 6 by Warning

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Not planning of course.  It was not very likely at all, but it was not impossible.  Jumi, had already warned her, if a monster forced himself on her, there was a chance of her having its child, the one way Jumi thought Mitsuko might have a biological child.  It probably would not happen, but it could.  It was mostly luck Jumi was not unintentionally already a mother herself.  Jumi was not going to point that out right now though.  They were trying to keep things more positive.  “You never know what will happen.”  She said with a smile.  “Though you can always play with him or her, if I someday have one.”  It was more likely with her of course.  Ignoring the monsters, she enjoyed both men and women.  Maybe someday she would have a child or two in the apartment.  Though like Mitsuko, she was not planning on it, especially in the immediate future.

She flew a few more minutes, before lowering to the ground.  “I have a feeling, after you get some practice, you will be able to fly higher, faster and longer than me.”  After a bit they came up to a fenced in area, a number of Magical Girls and Knights, standing in designated areas.  A few were having mock battles with each other, but most were doing a different activity.  Various post, with carved images of generic monsters popping up from random sides, at random times.  The participants attacking them.  Sometimes with weapons, sometimes fists or legs, sometimes their power.

”The goal is to hit as many as you can before the timer runs out.  Try to do better than the ones around you.  The posts are made out a special material, you won’t break them with a light hit, even from your swords.  Though you could break them if you needed to for some reason.”  The participants inside at the moment were a mix in experience.  Some easily hitting each, as if by reflex, others struggling a little.

 

[Warning]

Mitsuko was surprised with how Jumi approached this topic seemingly so comfortably. She didn't know what to say about it now, making her silent for the moment. She enjoyed to see her fly, though. Jumi was even encouraging toward her. Looking at the event happening, Mitsuko seemed impressed with the sight. "Wow... Many of them using their magic and powers...", she said while watching them until she turned to them while listening to the instructions. "So we only need to hit them, not destroy them?", she asked.

If it was the former, she felt strong enough to be capable of hitting them fine, probably. Even destroy them, depending on how it would feel when she hit them. If it was the latter, she would have to focus more power on her hits. The only training she had done with her sword was on human made wooden dummies so it was not very close to the kind of dummies that they had here. Mitsuko was confident that she would do alright, though. With some of them struggling, she might have a chance not to end being last, at least.

"Alright...! I am ready, Jumi. I feel like wanting to try this. Will you participate, too?", she asked her, wondering if Jumi would be there as well. She was not planning to compete with her anyhow. For Mitsuko, it would be a test of her own strength and abilities, both of which seemed to have been improved. At the same time, she would have the chance to see what other magic gifted heroes were capable of. Learning of what abilities others had made her as curious as finding out what she could do herself as well. It would be fun.

Edited July 7 by Warning

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Jumi was not bothered by the other subject being dropped.  It was not an immediate concern, though if they lived together long enough, children might eventually show up one way or another.  But for now, focus on the game.

’Just hit them, as many as you can”  She said nodding.  “Try not to break them, but no one will be bothered if you accidentally break one or two, it happens.”  No one would be angry unless she intentionally broke many of them.

She considered the question of participating.  “Hmmm, since it is a training of sorts, maybe you should do a few rounds in a row.  That is allowed too.  I am curious to just watch you the first time, see how you do.  But maybe I will join in after that.”  How did Mitsuko fight, how would she handle a horde of monsters around her?  Jumi was curious to see.

[Warning]

Mitsuko listened to the instructions and nodded. "Alright... This seems easy, then. I don't know how well I'd do yet but I will do the same as what I've practiced. How do we register, though?" She had to ask while Nall seemed to fly above them to get a better look of the area. "Can't you just go inside...?", he questioned, not being sure how this worked. Mitsuko could not really blame him as even she had no idea. Jumi was the best one to tell them right now. "I don't think so... Jumi, can you take care of it for me?", she queried about her registration.

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Jumi shook her head and smiled.  “No, no, Nall is right.  There is no registration for this one.  You just wait for the current round to end with the buzzer, give everyone a moment to see their scores, and take a spot of one of the people leaving.  You can do it as many times as you want, but the round are short and most people will only do two or three rounds in a row at the most.”  Above it all there was a timer, only seconds left, and the individual rounds were only a few minutes.

As they waited, Jumi casually put her arm around Mitsuko’s hips.  An acknowledgment of the ambiguous relationship they were in.  Jumi was not shy about such things, not ashamed to do things that might make others wonder about them.  When the timer reached zero, there was a buzz.  A few seconds later, scores showed up, by the number of the spot they were in.  Most of the participants looked up, though a few did not really care.  A few seconds later, many, but not all of them stepped out.  “All right!  First come, first serve!  Find a spot a can easily watch you, show me what you can do.”  The hand dropped form Mitsuko’s hip, to let her go in.

[Warning]

Mitsuko looked surprised for a bit then above at Nall and soon nodded, "Alright, then. So be it... It sounds easy enough.", she said, getting ready to go, mentally and physically. A movement from Jumi made her stop for a moment, also making her blush in surprise. Though she was more comfortable with this kind of behavior now, after what they had done, even if in so little time. She cuddled her gently as a form of response and offered a smile while Nall above was clueless about their relationship, just admiring the sight around them.

Mitsuko nodded when a turn potentially opened for her. "Alright, Jumi... I will show you what I am capable of. Nall, you wait here with her...", she said and gave her friend a quick kiss before she went to find herself a spot, one that was not too far. Dashing to it, she placed herself on it so she can use it for herself. Then she formed her blade and waited. It was not only a transformation that she was going to show off this time... She had to show her capabilities but while she was nervous, she tried not to stress herself. This was not new to her.

Nall obeyed and watched from above, lowering himself slowly to Jumi's side though, having seen nothing that happened between the two. He was going to get a taste of Mitsuko's powers as well, though. And he looked rather excited for it, having no idea that Jumi had not seen her in practice yet either. He was not worried for her, considering the game's rules, anyway. Mitsuko herself observed around, trying to see how it might go in her mind. It was only a target practice, she told herself. She had done it before with handmade targets.

The white cat flew close to Jumi and landed on her shoulder to rest. He was not too heavy but if one was to compare, it would be about the weight of a pet of his size, perhaps slightly more due to the wings. A smile drew on his face as he eyed at Jumi, "Do you think that she will win? She looks like she knows how to use her sword. Maybe she IS a warrior...", he said and turned his head toward Jumi's. "Right?", he asked, not really knowing that Mitsuko took inspiration mostly from manga and anime for her stance. She had the strength, too.

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Jumi was pleasantly surprised by the kiss.  Mitsuko seemed to be getting comfortable with the relationship they had, whatever it was exactly.  She happily licked her lips as the girl pulled away.  She wondered, Mistuko might not try to win, but would she try to impress Jumi?  It seemed like the kind of thing someone in her position might try to do.  But she would have to wait and see.  She found it interesting that Nall landed on her.  The creature did not comment on their flirty activity.  But assuming it did not go back to sleep in the sword at night, he would certainly see interesting things in the future.  A more complete image of what 'friendship' meant with these two girls.

She lightly shrugged, not trying to shake Nall off.  "Hard to say.  This is my first time watching her do this sort of thing, seeing her skill and technique.  The others in there have a mix of skill level and experience.  Can't say she won't win, but it won't be easy, if she does."  She did not really know if Mitsuko had any sort of practice in this area either, if she had ever touched a more conventional sword.

It was another moment, waiting until all the spots were occupied.  Then a beep and it started counting down to the start.  They could come from any direction, in any order.  They might linger in one side or not.  The trick was to listen for the slightest sound or gust of air, any hint they might be coming in a particular direction.  It was training in a few areas, to attack and to look for the slightest hint of an attack, help her avoid a surprise attack when they were in real battle.

When the counter reached zero, there was another beep.  It had begun.  Almost immediately a statue sprung behind her, in the shape of a more traditional demon, dark skin, red gem-like eyes, wide wings, and hand up as if it was prepared to attack her, though it was just a statue.  It would not move except to spring up, and quickly drop back down, whether it was hit or not.

[Warning]

Nall seemed to hold on fine and thankfully, he was smart enough not to use his claws at all, not not hurting Jumi in any ways. He seemed impressed by the setup of the activity, just watching for now, while Mitsuko was preparing and watching, learning quickly how this worked so she would not fall behind. She was not planning to use any advanced techniques anyhow. She could feel the magic but she still was not sure how to use it, except for the magic she somehow managed to focus around her blade before.

When the beep and countdown started, Mitsuko tightened her grip on her sword. The truth was that she was not sure what to expect but luckily, she had been able to watch the end of the last round. She knew at least what to expect on basic levels. This training could still surprise her and she had no doubt that it would. When the second beep was heard, she looked around for a target, only hearing the sound behind her then made her turn, looking in shock but still swung her blade at it sideways, almost too late.

"O-okay... It's different seeing them from so close... Focus, Mitsuko...", she tried to spirit herself up and looked carefully around, trying to see this like a video game of sort. After all, it was not all different from that except that she was the main character playing now. Another one sprung to her side and she was a little more prepared for it this time, sending a slash in its direction before she leaped back to get a better view, not knowing where they could spring from. It seemed to start easy enough, to begin with.

After a few targets hit, it started becoming a little more tricky with a higher target showing itself, not very reachable at melee range unless one was to jump to it or use a ranged attack. Mitsuko was not sure how to target from a range yet but she trusted her legs and tried for a jump, still in the video game mind that she had so far. Surprisingly, her legs kicked the floor rather powerfully to allow her a jump higher than one a normal human could and in the instant, she managed to get a slash in before landing.

Her eyes stared down at her self, never really having tried to jump until now. Though, it was not the time to stop and think about it. A few different targets appeared, seeming to move in opposite direction. After a swift consideration, she dashed to one and slashed down at it before trying to make it to the second one. However, it retreated before she could make it. Before she could position herself, a small target appeared right behind her again as if it knew where she was. Statues tried to surround her even.

Frowning to the attempt, she used her strength and spun her blade around her to slash them all off, making them retreat. The game was barely over, now with different targets appearing at different heights. Mitsuko dashed to slash one and leave it, figuring she only needed a hit like Jumi had told her. She jumped to another, struck and brought her blade down on a third one. unfortunately unable to hit the 4th one that had appeared along. One suddenly appeared and moved fast toward her, making her counter.

Mitsuko was not sure if it would have stopped before hitting her but her reaction allowed to 'stop' it. Another sprung, doing the same thing from another direction while a subtle one appeared nor far behind her, more quietly. Her mind was focused on the faster one and the only way she noticed the slower one was when it quickly retreated a moment later, making her stare at where it was. "W-what...? If it was a real one, I'd have been...", she said and shook her head, looking around carefully and preparing herself.

Suddenly, a pretty large statue showed itself with many "slash" marks on its center. It did not seem like they were there by damage but it was hard to tell. It was much bigger... Other participants seemed to prepare their best attack or for some other ones, going for many hits. It must have been a large scoring one. Mitsuko worked herself up and dashed to it, testing her strength and stamina to slash as many times as she could. After which, the target finally retreated, marking this one game as finally complete.

Mitsuko panted after this, having practiced with simple wooden targets before but this was beyond what she ever thought she would do. A real battle would be much worse than this but it was good practice. She was definitely not the best, considering that it was her first time and she lacked in magic training, but she had not been the worst. Still, she could have done better... Now, was she capable of doing this again? Maybe another time would be best. Sure, she had to become better but she needed a break.

Leaving after the score was given, Mitsuko returned to Jumi, still exhausted from having given her all but she smiled. "A-alright, I did not think that it would be like this but I enjoyed it. I could get used to do more of this. I was so nervous that I did not think about exploring my abilities, though.", she told them but felt slightly disappointed by the latter. She knew that it was her first time, though. It was hard to blame her for it. Nall looked as happy as usual, still on Jumi's shoulder, commenting "You did great! Right?"

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Jumi watched, not really sure what to expect.  Mitsuko had fight in her, it did not look like she was specifically trying to impress her, but she was doing it fairly well anyways.  At least for a first time, she was doing quite well.  It was much safer than a real fight.  Failing to hit a single one there could be dangerous.  But this was helping her get a taste of it.

When it was over she nodded and smiled.  “You did good!  I’m sure you will do even better if you tried again.  It’s a good safe preview of what you might expect in battle.  Though that is sometimes one on one, and depending on what you are fighting, you can sometimes learn to sense them, so they can’t sneak up on you.  Once you get a sense of all your power, you might be able to win one of these.  Though that might have to wait until next time one of these happens.”  With flying and potentially ranged attacks, she could see Mitsuko doing very well on these.  “You ready for a second try already, or do you want to rest first?”

[Warning]

Mitsuko smiled to the praise and gave a nod to what she was told, knowing it was indeed the truth. Well, she did not have the battle experience but she could imagine what reality could look like. It might be a game now but later, it wouldn't be. "Right... It was fun, though. I know real battles may not be as fun but I suppose it's alright for now. I could see what kind of powers others have. It's impressive. One of them even had explosive magic...", she observed, wondering how powerful most magical girls or knights would be.

As much as Mitsuko was in shape, she never had to swing a blade at targets and for the first time, she needed a pause before she'd go again. She however planned to go again for sure, soon or later. Most likely once more in the same day. "Perhaps not yet, Jumi... I did not think it would tire me this much. I did not know I could jump so high without hurting myself...", she murmured, feeling like she was in a dream. Nall meanwhile seemed to enjoy her excitement but soon changed his expression as something alerted him.

Turning on Jumi's shoulder to look the way they came from before, toward the convention's main hall, he looked like an alert cat feeling threatened. "Something is wrong...", he gasped, making Mitsuko look toward the direction he was looking before she looked at Jumi. "It could not be Lenneth...", she replied to him, concerned but assuming she would certainly not... Nall shook his head, however. "No. That is not her...", Nall responded, making Mitsuko look back toward the direction leading to the Hall. Who or what was it...?

While Nall had this feeling, they would not see anything from where they are but his feeling seemed to be confirmed by potential sounds coming from the hall. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any fighting sounds so perhaps it was not an attack. Would demons even attack the convention? Mitsuko felt like it would be something silly to do with all the trained magical girls and knights present. She was sure that she was told how safe the place was as well. "Should we go take a look, Jumi...?", the schoolgirl asked carefully.

Edited July 11 by Warning

[AsBloodTurnsEverCold]

Rie's day after she had left the girls could only be described as a whirlwind. The nurse made good on her word to head to the Dealer's area looking for a particular figure and she did eventually find it in some forgotten corner. It had been marked up by a great amount but the figure was unopened. It would have been perfect if she had been the only person looking but instead she would come into conflict with another eager collector. What had been bargaining eventually turned to arguing, and arguing would eventually turn to wrestling until finally Rie had gotten her prize...and a bloody nose though she had given them a split lip as a result. It was only her innate desire to keep people in perfect health that saw them taken care of.

They did also go to eat too sharing stories, talking about anime, and for a few them speaking openly of the Magical Warriors they admired and their adventures though with that it also turned to arguing for reasons Rie did keep her opinions mostly to herself. She decided to remain with the group was they tore through the convention, finally finding like-minded people with energy to match as they partook in various activities like Karaoke, games, and a few reenactments.

Rie didn't even seem to mind when a few of the members couldn't help but flirt with and occasionally cozy up to her. She was much the same so was more than happy to play along. Her thoughts did wander to Jumi and Mitsuko on occasion hoping they were alright but she was sure if anything went wrong Jumi would call for her or she'd hear something.

The Magical Nurse simply had a good time but eventually a thought did occur to her. An activity and something that could only really be done as a magical being. She would say goodbye to her new friends and break off and make her way towards a certain area where others tended to train and compete. Rie competing in anything was a dangerous prospect but she was determined to attain a time worth talking about. It was always her goal. She wanted to reach the top!

With her prize in hand she would jog her way there though the closer she got the more she felt something....off. Magical Beings were quite attuned to these things. Presences beyond human. Her own senses were going off. Rie had been at this for a long time and so she knew when something was...dangerous.

No. Surely no demon would be dumb enough to act right? She was sure. It would be suicide for even one of their vile leaders to appear here without cover. This was a place full of their enemy. There were incredibly strong Knights and Girls here. No demon would....

But the thinning crowd....it was safer yes? She stopped for a moment quickly transforming, forgoing the usual lengthy performance as she wreathed herself in power and she moved faster prize still in hand. If it was dangerous then it was her duty to attend. She ran until she finally reached the competition area, entering through another door opposite the the direction of the encroaching presence. Her eyes narrowed as she looked around though she did see two familiar faces "Jumi! Mitsuko!" she called to them with a wave though her attention turned to Jumi "Its good that you two are safe." sounding as though she were genuinely worried.
She would looked Mitsuko over in her new outfit before falling onto the.....creature on Jumi's shoulder though she knew it wasn't hers instead looking to Mitsuko "Your guardian?" she asked motioning to the. She studied it. Cat. Not a simple cat. She supposed many of them did have something like that. She looked past the two girls "Feels dark. I can't quite pin it down by feel alone."

"If you're going to go looking then so am I."