Fool's World: The Hierophant (ch. 3v2) (Patreon)

"So, are you actually going to teach me anything, or nah?" I asked Touko, who sat at the desk, a heavy tome flipped open. The faded yellow pages were marked with a language that wasn't Japanese. It had been a few days since Touko showed up and in that time, she hadn’t left the workshop even to eat.

I would like to say that those few days were productive ones. That would be a lie, though. Nothing really was done. I found my wallet, which had my ID in it, which is how I found out that I was seventeen years old. And I also found that I had some serious cash in the bank, which I began withdrawing little by little. I also found that I had a few properties, one of which was in Fuyuki city, but it was all general information. I wasn’t any closer to finding out who I was.

But, the point was, I had yet to learn anything about being a magus. We had two weeks and time was ticking.

"I did say we would begin when I found what I wanted?" Touko questioned, idly flipping the page. I crossed my arms as I leaned against the wall of the study, ancient books at my back. It appeared mostly the same since I was last down here, though the books I had knocked over were straightened and returned to the shelves. Touko was starting to build up a pile of those she seemed to want.

She had. "You did. And I agreed with the assumption you wouldn't take days," I said, my voice firm. Touko flipped another page, proving that she was giving me only a fraction of her attention at best.

"You know what they say about assumptions," Touko remarked lightly, her tone distracted.

I didn't. "And if you don't find what you're looking for, say, within two weeks?" I questioned her, sighing. I knew what my answer was going to be before I even spoke.

"Maybe you'll get lucky and the next Grail War will happen prematurely again. Otherwise, you'll be waiting seventy years until the next one," Touko dismissed, "or, you could die trying to enter this one." She added, sounding like she had no horse in this race. And maybe she didn't. Getting a wish granted sounded like one of those things that most people would be interested in, but it seemed that she wasn't most people.

A sigh escaped me as I looked up the stairs to my right, seeing Nobara standing there. I offered a small nod before she started marching down the steps, each footstep ominous as she approached. Holding out a hand, I took a red canister from her.

Wordlessly, I turned around and started splashing gasoline on the shelving and books. The smell of it was thick in the workshop as the gas soaked into the ancient tombs and splashed onto the floor as I doused the shelves. I heard the chair creaking behind me, proving that I had Touko's attention now.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw that she was looking at me with narrowed eyes, while her expression had gone otherwise blank. No, not blank. Amused. "I said you could have everything in here for teaching me. But, if we're going to ignore the spirit of the agreement, then you can have whatever's left." I told her, my tone blunt.

I wasn't sure what reaction I was expecting, but it wasn't for her to lean back into her chair. "You aren't bluffing," she noted, though it sounded half like an observation and half like a question.

"I'd dramatically pull out a lighter, but that'd set all of us on fire because of the fumes. But, yeah -- I'll burn this place to the ground in a heartbeat." I answered honestly, earning a small nod from Touko.

"Why do you want to be a magus?" She asked me, though I was uncertain why.

I gestured to Nobara, who frowned at Touko, "To win the Grail War and use the wish to discover who I was." I answered, making Nobara spare a glance at me, and that was the first time I ever said why I wanted to participate in the Grail War. And for some reason, it made her tense.

"So, are you going to help or not?" Nobara pressed, squaring her shoulders and glaring at the redheaded woman.

Touko smiled. It reminded me of a lot of cat that had cornered a mouse, "A magus isn't a sorcerer or wizard that flings spells from their fingertips. A magus, at the heart of it all, is a researcher. A scholar. If any have combat capabilities, then they tend to be a secondary priority pursued in defense of their research." She said, adopting a matter-of-fact time. "Except in some rare cases."

I saw the point she was hinting at easily enough, "There's not enough time to bring me to a point where I could fight the ones that specialize in combat, and the ones that don't will be hiding behind their Servants. Which I can't beat." It was simple logic. Two weeks wasn't enough to bring me from a novice to an expert. "But, two weeks could be enough to teach me something."

It could be the difference between being unarmed and having a knife in my pocket. It was at least something.

"But I am teaching you," Touko argued, her smile growing a fraction at my narrowed eyes and suspicious look. "It took you two days to think like a magus," she said, closing her book with a loud thump that echoed in the workshop.

Nobara looked at me, "Thinking like a magus?"

"All magus are inherently untrustworthy. We will attempt to deceive you at every turn. We will betray you at your most vulnerable. We will only hold ourselves to agreements based on how much it benefits us, or how tightly we're forced to comply," she said, taking a cigarette from her breast pocket and sticking it in her mouth. "Expect the bare minimum from every alliance, then expect betrayal."

That was… "You're giving yourself a ringing endorsement," I remarked, a frown in my voice as she grabbed the book she had been reading.

"It would be a waste to teach you any magecraft. Oh, I'll teach you the fundamentals -- magic circuits, how to block your thoughts, and the like. But actual magecraft would just be a waste of both of our times. You were completely talentless as a magus. So, I'll teach you how we think. How we act. How we plan." Her red eyes gleamed in the low light, her smile growing until I saw a hint of her teeth. "Your enemies will be expecting the same from you."

As she spoke, she walked by us, paying no attention to the dumbfounded look from Nobara, or the thoughtful look from me. That made… a degree of sense, I guess. It still felt like I was being taken for a ride, though.

Touko headed up the stairs and continued to speak, "Lesson number -- read up on the Magus Killer. Technically speaking, he was the winner of the Fourth Grail War," she said, coming to a stop at the top of the stairs. Nobara and I walked by her, and only then did she light her cigarette. She took in a deep drag and let out a cloud of smoke. "Where everyone else will have magecraft as their power, yours will be information and approaching things from angles that they won't expect."

Information, huh? "How would I learn more about the Fourth Grail War?" I asked her bluntly, and I was only half surprised when I received a half answer in response.

"You tell me," Touko said, taking her cigarette out of her mouth before she flicked it down the staircase. My eyes widened a fraction as I saw the barest hint at flames before the doors swung shut, leaving the only trace of the fire being a blast of hot air.

I hope that wouldn't burn the house down.

…

Nobara found that she didn't have any simple solutions to her problems. Or, rather, Problem. Capital P. Because her problem deserved capital letters.

It had been about a week since she found herself in Misfune City. The first few days was filled with exploring -- it was no Tokyo, but it was a major city. Majima proved to be rather willing to spend money on her, a rather attractive quality he had. She bought all the cute clothes she wanted, all the accessories and make up. She had an entire wardrobe in a few days. It was all fun. Majima was proving to be surprisingly fun too. He had a laid-back quality to him without actually being a doormat that Nobara liked.

However, the entire time, she waited for the other shoe to drop. For whoever that put her in the illusion to step up and say why. Maybe go on a convenient monologue so she could get some answers.

Yet, days passed, and the other shoe never came. Majima got fed up with Touko Aozaki and burnt down his family workshop. After that, Aozaki started to give him the odd lesson here and there. It was then that Nobara noticed that things weren't just adding up.

It was to be expected that Majima didn't know about Jujutsu sorcery. Hardly anyone did. Even Aozaki not knowing made sense. Sorcerers were a rare and dying out breed. But, on the flip side, it made less sense that she didn't know about magi or magus or magecraft. Apparently there was a school for them in London called the Clockwork Tower, which sounded a lot like Harry Potter to her.

Then there was the entire Grail War thing that Majima wanted to use to get his memories back. A wish that was a reward for a death game? Free of strings? Sounded way too good to be true, but more importantly, something like that should have reached her. She had been trained to be a Jujutsu Sorcerer since she could walk. And Magi or their Grail War were never mentioned once.

So, unless there were two completely separate secret societies that populated Japan that never stepped on each other's toes before, something was up.

And the internet gave her a rather convincing answer.

"What should I do?" Nobara muttered, looking up at the ceiling. Jujutsu High didn't exist. She looked up her family name, and not only did her family not exist, but her entire village didn't either. She didn't dare look up if Saori and Sumi existed, both childhood friends that she would feel the loss of far more keenly.

Her Problem was that she was somehow in a different world. The more time that passed, the less convinced that it was an illusion. Fine details were always the weakness of illusions, and this one had none. Which raised the question of why waste a top tier one on nobody like her. This kind of stuff was reserved for Special-Grade Sorcerers.

Meaning that it wasn't an illusion. It was real. She somehow found herself in a world without Jujutsu Sorcery, and instead had magecraft.

And what could she do about that?

Other than use the wish from the Holy Grail to get back home?

"Ugggghhhhh…!" Nobara groaned, staring up at the ceiling unblinkingly. She didn't even bother sitting on the couch, choosing to lay down flat on the floor. Boredom had started to set in, leaving her thinking about nothing but her problems and it wasn't pleasant. Because, no matter how she looked at it, it would take a wish from the Holy Grail to get her home.

Meaning that Majima wouldn't get his wish to restore his memories.

"You okay?" Nobara went stiff when she heard Majima speak up, poking his head out of his bedroom to look at her. He stepped out of his bedroom, revealing that he was in a pair of loose pants and a simple white shirt. Both hugged his well-muscled frame pretty well. He was her type -- Rich, handsome, sweet, but he didn't fawn over her. The Yakuza connections was a real downside, but she kinda liked the whole 'thug with a heart of gold.' It was way more charming than the soap operas portrayed.

"I'm fine!" Nobara said, a little too quickly to be believable. It was pretty evident that Majima didn't believe her based on the cocked eyebrow. "I'm just a little… bored," she admitted. "How's becoming a magus coming?" She changed the subject, ignoring her growing guilt.

So far, she kept her origins to herself, waiting to gather enough evidence to not only convince herself but others. But, it was getting harder to keep quiet. Nobara never really saw herself as one to be too considerate to others, but it became a real bitter pill to swallow when it became clear that she needed that wish as much as Majima did.

"Not good," Majima answered easily. "I have something called magic circuits. Three of them that produce about four units of mana between all of them." He said, his tone sounding like he didn't care one way or the other.

This is how Nobara imagined people felt when they had Jujutsu Sorcery explained to them. "Is that good?" She questioned as Majima turned his back to her to open the fridge.

"No, it's exceptionally bad apparently. According to Touko, I'm barely a magus at all." He explained, grabbing some ingredients for a sandwich. "Hungry?"

"I could eat," Nobara decided. She ate pizza earlier, but free food was free food. And Majima proved to be a pretty good cook. "So, what does that mean for your magecraft stuff?"

"Nothing really. It just means that I can't rely on magecraft. On the plus side, I learned how to block my thoughts from mental invasions." He said, making a couple of sandwiches for them both. "At the very least, Touko says I'm a quick study."

Nobara pushed herself into a sitting position, "You keep calling everyone by their first names. That's pretty rude, you know?" She pointed out and wasn't even surprised by the uncaring shrug she got in response. "Would you want me to call you by your first name?" She questioned, thinking that would be the first time she would ever be on a first name basis with a boy.

"Sure, but I kinda like the name Majima. It sounds cooler than Mikoto," Majima voiced his opinion, and of course that would be the deciding factor.

Despite herself, and her Problem, Nobara found herself smiling as she got up when Majima finished preparing her meal.

"Thanks," she said, taking a seat at the counter. "Hey, Majima?"

"Hm?" He said, pausing to take a bite out of his own sandwich.

"I'm from a different world," Novara told him before taking a bite. It was pretty good -- enough meat to give the sandwich some thickness, the lettuce and vegetables had a pleasant crunch to them and the cheese was faintly sweet. All the while, she watched his reaction.

Nobara liked to think of herself as a people person, but Majima was really difficult to read. Up until he told her that he had no memories, Nobara had been clueless. He just… didn't seem to react beyond mild expressions. She had freaked out -- a little bit --   at being stuck in this world without warning, but he was treating waking up with no memories as if it was an everyday occurrence.

She didn't know if he was afraid or if he was as calm as he appeared to be.

"So, your kidnappers took you a bit further than we thought," he said, just instantly believing her without missing a beat. And despite how uncertain she was, Nobara was thankful for it in a way. Majima just… accepted what had happened, and decided on a way to deal with it. Like it was nothing. That was more reassuring than she could put into words.

Sadly, he also zeroed in on the issue at hand. "You'll need the wish to get back home," he told her, earning a very slow nod from Nobara. It wasn't an easy thing to ask for. She was basically telling him that she called going home over him finding his memories.

"I do," Nobara agreed.

"Would they have someone that could give me back my memories where you're from?" He asked her, catching her flat footed by with the question. She blinked as she considered the question -- she had half expected him to kick her out. She had been preparing herself for the possibility that she would have to compete against him in the Grail War.

She wouldn't steal the wish from him by stabbing him in the back. That kind of conniving shit was something she despised.

"Maybe?" Nobara hedged, more uncertain than anything. "Jujutsu sorcery is pretty varied, so it's possible. And the school I was going to had some pretty big names, and I'm sure if we asked, they could help you out better than I could," she settled on, carefully watching his reaction.

"Then I'll just go with you to your world," Majima decided with ease.

Nobara paused for a moment, and that was an option she hadn't considered. "I guess having amnesia has some benefits," she remarked. Like not having any attachments to the world you were in.

"I would say so. But we should hold off until we actually win the Grail War," he pointed out.

"You aren't nervous?" Nobara asked him -- she felt a little uncertain, but mostly confident. She had exercised plenty of curses, but this wouldn't be a simple curse. They would be fighting legends from history and their masters.

No matter how she looked at it, people were going to die. She just had to make sure that she and Majima weren't one of them.

Majima offered a small shrug, "Not really. I think I've hammered out a decent plan of attack. Can't say anything for certain until we actually see the Servants and Masters, but I think we have a good shot. Even if I don't have Magecraft, you have your Jujutsu Sorcery and some guns. That should be enough."

"And what plan would that be?" Nobara questioned, earning a small smirk from Majima. It suited his face, but it didn't suit him -- it was small, sharp, and as dangerous as a knife. The Majima that she had come to know was more aloof than anything.

"Well, you won't be bored much longer," he said, passing her the book that he had been reading. A book about magical eyes? "Touko agreed to help me find someone with Mystic Eyes. The ones I'm looking for are the Mystic Eyes of Recollection -- basically, letting us view the ending of the Fourth Grail War."

That sounded kinda crazy. "Why?" Nobara asked, wondering what good that would do.

"Because I want to see how the Grail grants wishes," Majima answered. "And… I want to see it. I read about the fire that killed my family, and it just doesn't make sense. Half a city went up in flames. More than a thousand people died. And not just normal people, but my parents and brother, who were all apparently magi."

Nobara frowned, "Do you think… that was the winner's wish?" She questioned, uncertain if she should show pity or not. Majima seemed to write off his family the moment he learned what they did. He didn't seem to care for his twin brother either. The moment he learned what they did in that basement, they died to him even before he learned that they died.

"Don't have a clue. I just know that the Fuyuki fire happened at the climax of the Grail War. I want to see how it happened and learn what I can. Because, maybe, the information will help us win. Learn from the mistakes of those that came before us," Majima said before he passed her a plate. Nobara began digging in while Majima prepared tea.

"Will Touko actually help you?" Nobara said through a mouth full of food, only to have to repeat herself when Majima looked like he didn't understand a word she had said.

Majima nodded, "She already has. I threatened to start calling up my family's favors on my own if she didn't. That was good enough for her."

Nobara nodded to herself, thinking it over. Touko was… an odd one. She sounded like she hated all magus, but she always said 'we', including herself in their number. "Did she give a timeline?" She asked, taking the tea that Majima offered and burning her tongue on it.

"She said it wouldn't be more than a few days. And that was yesterday," Majima said, beginning his own meal while Nobara polished off her plate. She let out a content sigh -- she hadn't realized how hungry she was.

"No word on those Yakuza guys?" Nobara asked, looking for… something. She still didn't know how she felt about the fact that Majima had been a part of a criminal organization. But, it was just easier to separate the two -- Mikoto made the decision of joining the Yakuza and whatever, while Majima, the one she knew, was just dealing with the after effects of Mikoto's decisions.

"I was told to wait for a call. Not sure for what, though," Majima admitted. There was that word again. The one that she hated. Wait.

"More waiting," she grumbled. Nobara wished something would just happen. The waiting was the worst of it. How could you enjoy yourself when you had something like the Yakuza or the Grail War looming on the horizon?

Majima let out a chuckle, "What would you normally do to help pass the time?" He asked her after swallowing and taking a silent sip from his tea.

"How about a spar?" Nobara questioned, eying Majima. He had a fighter's build -- broad shoulders, well muscled arms, and a strong core. She also needed to see how much she would need to protect him in the upcoming Grail War. Plus, she needed some exercise to work off the microwaved pizza she had earlier. She could already feel the grease clogging up her pores -- if she didn't sweat it out, she was going to have a breakout of pimples.

Majima seemed thoughtful before he offered a small shrug. "Sure," he agreed easily, finishing off his own sandwiches.

"I'll go easy on you?" Nobara tried, only to earn a dismissive shake of his head.

"Don't. The other Master's won't," Majima said, earning a smile from Nobara. She made the offer to be polite, but she was glad that they had something in common -- Nobara hated her opponents holding back as much as she hated losing. With that, she got up and helped Majima rearrange the living room. By the time they were done, giving themselves a wide area to spar in, their food had settled.

Nobara stood across from Majima, her hands clenched into fists. She would feel more comfortable with her hammer, but hand to hand combat wasn't unknown to her. In contrast to her, Majima didn't have a stance, yet he looked ready to fight.

"Ready?" Nobara asked, a smile in her voice. She had seen a bit of Majima fighting, and it could best be described as rough. Cheap shots to quickly end the fight. Well, crotch shots wouldn’t work on her! In response, Majima offered a simple nod as Nobara put her weight on the arches of her feet. With that acting as the go-ahead, Nobara darted forward, her hands up as she dove in. She threw a testing jab, letting Majima get a feel before they really began.

Majima might not have much fighting experience, but he did have good instincts, Nobara found as he blocked the blow with his forearm with a light smack. His expression didn’t change as he sent a low kick to her knee in response, delivering a decent blow, though despite their words, it looked like they were both holding back a fair bit. Neither of them really wanted to hurt the other.

Upon seeing that he did have some moves, Nobara decided to kick things up a notch. She chose to return the kick, the top of her foot striking his ribs, then going up to his shoulder instead of kicking at his head, only to find that the second blow blocked. Nobara’s eyes widened a fraction at the smooth block, more so with the counterpunch he threw toward her stomach. He pulled the punch, but it still solidly slammed into her abs.

“I’ve fought a lot of people that kick, I think,” Majima explained as he settled into something that resembled a fighting stance. One fist clutched high, another low, his body angled to make a smaller target. His footwork seemed a bit odd, not quite a wide stance, and he seemed to be putting his weight on his forward foot instead of his back foot. It was an odd mismatch -- his posture said defensive, but his footing said offensive.

“Then I’ll throw more punches,” Nobara said with a smile, darting back in. She was light on her feet, her blood singing in her veins as she fell into the familiar activity. It would be a lie to say that she didn't enjoy fighting. Becoming a Jujutsu sorcery was just a way to pay the bills, but there was something electrifying about putting her skills against another and finding out who was better. Competition was in her nature.

Majima returned her smile weaving between the punches with deft ease before he returned the jabs with some of his own. Then, quick as a whip, he mixed it up with a sweeping kick from his back leg, nearly knocking her on her back. Nobara managed to keep her footing, only to quickly be pressed back as Majima pressed the attack. The more that he fought, the more that it became clear that Majima didn’t just have good instincts.

He was good. He was dusting off forgotten skills, and his fighting style became smoother as they traded blows. More distinct. Then, when she managed to sweep his leg, it became weird. Majima dropped to the floor, using his hand to prop himself up as he continued to kick at her with his legs, displaying a flexibility Nobara didn’t think that he had in him. More than that, it gave him range and made attacking him awkward.

Nobara smiled at the challenge, her hand itching for her hammers weight and her nails, but instead she chose to sweep her leg out low, intending to sweep his hands from underneath him. It was an obvious point of attack and Majima reacted instantly by pushing himself up, proving that his muscles weren't just for show. As her leg sailed underneath him, Majima twisted in midair, righting himself so he would land on his feet as he went to bring an axe kick down on her collarbone.

Nobara proved her own flexibility and strength by maneuvering despite the awkward positioning to dodge the blow. His heel slammed into the floor, sending vibrations running up her arms as she flipped herself back on to two feet once again. They clashed again and Nobara kept her word and threw more punches. His fighting ability rapidly improved as he continued to rediscover his instincts, and each blow was either blocked or diverted.

Before long, Nobara felt herself working up a sweat as they continued to spar, the fight growing in intensity. The impact of their blows grew stronger as they felt less of a need to pull them back. Important locations like the head weren't attacked, but Nobara knew she would be sporting a few bruises.

So, she made sure that Majima would be too.

However, that came to an end when Majima's phone rang, making both of them go still. Majima dropped his stance and picked up the phone from where he had dropped it so it wouldn't get damaged during the spar. Flipping it open, he answered with a, "Mikoto Majima speaking."

Majima's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, prompting Nobara to stealthily move in so she could overhear the conversation. "- building immediately! The Nishkiyama family are on their way!" Nobara heard, and it took Nobara a moment to place the name. Wasn't that…?

"Alright. I'll leave now," Majima said as he closed the phone and looked at her, forcing Nobara to lean back since their faces had been so close. "The Nishkiyama family is on their way to kill me. So, we should go," Majima said, sounding frighteningly unconcerned with the fact that people were coming to kill him.

"We're running?" Nobara questioned, not liking the sound of that at all.

"They have guns. And if they're coming to kill me specifically, they probably have a way to deal with Magecraft," He answered, heading into his bedroom and grabbing a duffle bag. One that was packed with clothes, and the contents they found in the safe, while Majima took the time to place the gun in his waistband before grabbing the bag. "It's smarter to run. Plus, we were already about to leave for Fuyuki," he pointed out.

It still rubbed her the wrong way. She looked at the door of his bedroom, beyond the piles of books and clothing. It was such a shame that they would have to leave her wardrobe behind. She barely worn any of the clothes yet. However, Majima's mind seemed made up because he heard him say, "Touko, we're heading to Fuyuki now. Tell the guy when you find him to meet us there," Majima said, snapping the phone close.

He put on a jacket before he tossed her the duffle bag, his amber eyes sharp. "Let's go," he said, walking by her.

"Alright," Nobara muttered unhappily, putting on the duffle bag like a backpack as they stepped into the elevator. The loss of her accessories stung, but they were things. She had a lot of pride, but she wasn't above turning tail and running if it meant survival. Reaching the ground floor, one of the maids bowed deeply as they stepped out.

"Get everyone out of the building," Majima ordered, his voice harsher than she had ever heard before. The same was the case for the maid based on how startled she looked. "Load up, and get out."

The maid hesitated, "Of course, master." She said, her voice laced with fear because of the way he was acting, before she quickly broke out into a run to go warn the others.

Nobara didn't like it, "How long do we have?" Nobara asked as they headed to a garage. Stepping inside, she saw six vehicles -- sleek looking metal bodies, and sharp angles, then there was a thing with two wheels. Like a bike. Instead of picking the cars, Majima headed to the bike after grabbing a key from a hook on a board near the door.

"Not long enough," Majima answered shortly before he threw a leg around the bike and it roared to life. Nobara got on behind him, wrapping her arms around his torso as she pressed her body against his. It was a little embarrassing, but she was far more concerned about the people coming for Majima. With her secured, the bike lurched forward, heading to the wide door that opened as they approached.

Nobara was sure she had a fantasy alike this at least once before -- rising on a motorbike with a bad boy. The only downside was that they moved too fast to really enjoy the sights as they pulled out of his mansion's driveway to pull onto the main road. The sun shone overhead, not a cloud to be seen, and she was greeted by the still unfamiliar sight of the city. Her heart pounded in her ribs as they drove through the city streets, her eyes peeled for any sign of the enemy.

For minutes, there was no trace of anyone following them and Nobara began to relax. However, as they headed for a bridge that would take them off of Kyushu island, Nobara saw that there hadn't been a need to follow them.

"Oh… looks like my phone was tapped," Majima remarked, spotting two black cars with tinted windows parked at the opening of the bridge. Not enough to block it off, but definitely guarding it. A warning to not venture forward. "That's annoying. Nobara?"

"I'll take care of it. Just don't stop," Nobara decided, eyeing the vehicles as they rapidly approached. There weren't many other cars on the road, so they approached in plain view. And when they sailed by, the cars pulling into the two-lane bridge were also in plain view. Nobara shifted her position so she was facing them as they approached from behind, the duffle bag in her lap.

The two cars raced towards them, going into some kind of flanking maneuver. Majima was boxed in when one of the cars threatened to run him off the road. There wasn't any room to maneuver around, but that was fine for Nobara.

She breathed in as she felt the weight of her hammer appear in her hand, and in her other were nails. Using Jujutsu sorcery was something instinctual. It was like moving an unseen appendage, and like a contortionist, one got better at manipulating the limb with practice. Cursed energy coated her nails, manifesting itself as blue fire. They levitated for a moment before Nobara brought her hammer down on the flat heads of the nails, sending them shooting off at the tires of the cars.

They swerved, nearly hitting Majima in the process, but he avoided getting his back tire swiped with some quick maneuvering.

The windows of the cars rolled down as they started to lag behind, two men leaning out of each vehicle. They had guns in their hands.

"Slow down!" Nobara shouted, and clenched down with her thighs when Majima slammed on the brakes, the back tire nearly flipping up despite her weight keeping it down.

The cars raced by and Nobara hammered more cold iron nails at the men, this time aiming at the windshield. They weren't bullets, but they broke the glass easily enough, hitting those behind it. Nobara heard panicked screaming as Majima gunned the bike again, and they raced by. One car swerved, slamming into the other, and sending both crashing into the side of the bridge. One of the drivers got out of the cars as soon as he could, stepping out to look at them as they fled the city.

So, to add insult in injury, Nobara stuck out her tongue as they drove away, feeling proud of herself.

"Do you think this will interfere with the Grail War?" Nobara questioned over the rushing wind.

"Probably," Majima answered, racing across the bridge at speeds she could never imagine going before she found herself in this world.

Yeah, probably. But, if that's all they had, then Nobara felt confident that they could take everything they could dish out and then some.

"Eh, we'll be fine."