“What!! The right to challenge DXM to a battle!”
Hirana's voice echoed through the cafeteria of WIXOSSLAND.
“Hey, Hirana, you're talking too loud ......! The eyes all around you are ......”
“Oh, ...... sorry, sorry!”
Hirana sat back in her chair after being told off by Akino, but her excitement had not abated. The announcement of the upcoming premium event - publicized just the other day - stated that the winning team would be given the right to battle DXM. For DIVA, who admire these girls and want to catch up with and surpass them, this is a huge reward they never expected.
The hand holding the plastic cup filled with the orange juice she had ordered earlier was shaking with an uncontrollable force.
“This is a great opportunity, isn't it?”
“......It's true, it's an opponent we don't get to fight very often, and ......I'd love to get my revenge.”
If they were competing in a normal ranked tournament, they would not know when they would be able to fight again. Rei looks happy to be able to challenge again here. For the three members of No Limit, who faced DXM in the past and were unable to beat them, this event is a unique opportunity for them to fulfill their dreams.
However, this is a special event and differs from a ranked tournament. This means, of course, that team members are basically free. It is up to the participants themselves to decide which DIVA they will team up with.
“If we're going to take revenge on DXM, it's no good if the three of us don't compete together. ......”
“Of course, I would love to be with Hirana and Rei!”
As for Hirana, she wanted to participate with "No Limit". The same was true for Akino and Rei.
“Oh, are you three going to be attending the event together as usual?"
“...... Muzica!"
Hirana turned and saw the three members of DIAGRAM.
“We're having trouble with that right now.......”
As Rei tried to explain, Muzica continued.
“I think it's an option to always work with the same members, but I think it's also a good idea to work with different DIVAs for more experience.”
“You mean I should team up with other DIVAs other than Akino and Rei......?”
“Yes. You will further develop your individual strengths, and you will be able to show them how you have improved in the original ranked tournament. If you can raise your own ranks to a respectable level, you should be able to take on DXM fairly and squarely, even if it's not an event.”
Hirana and the others looked at each other in agreement with Muzica's opinion. However, it is hard to believe that a battle with unfamiliar members would be that easy.
Hirana, Akino and Rei ...... were members of the group, which is why they have been able to work so hard together.
“It certainly ...... makes sense. It's the way it's supposed to be. But I'm not sure if I'll be able to fight with a different group of people than usual......”
“It's okay.” Madoka replied to Rei's words.
“Rei has always been strong, but even with the current team, you have become even stronger. You can fight in any situation.”
“Of course, so are the other two.”
“Madoka, Sanga ......”
“I think there are still many things we can learn from other DIVAs and experiences that we can gain from doing various battles. Each one of those things will add even more to our strength!”
“That's what I mean. That's why we have decided to form separate teams this time. It is up to you to decide what you want to do.”
To take another step forward in their activities as No Limit, it may be a good opportunity for them to compete in an event with different members.
With the advice from DIAGRAM, the three felt that they could now see the path of what they should do this time.
“Yes, ...... we'll think about it some more!”
There is a possibility that they can find something that they haven't found yet. And in this way, they may be able to grow even more.
“All right! I'm getting more and more motivated!”
Hirana, who was drinking the orange juice in her hand, was fired up with fighting spirit. Muzica smiled at her positive attitude, but cautiously switched the subject.
“And......”
“And?”
“I'm thinking it might be a good opportunity to get to know these unfamiliar DIVAs, who have been showing up more and more lately. It wouldn't be impossible for us to team up with them.”
Muzica glanced at the new DIVAs around.
The new DIVAs are different from their own and have a slightly unique atmosphere, which Hirana was also curious about.
“Well. Actually, I tried to say hello to them when I passed them earlier, but ...... you know, ...... we feel awkward, or maybe I ...... bothered them.”
At the time, she was worried for a moment if they feel scared or they wary of her, but she felt like it would be impossible to know what kind of attitude they would take.
“The girls were surprised to find Hirana was so much noisy.”
“Hey, Rei!”
“Ha-ha-ha. It's possible."
“Oh, no, Akino!”
Muzica continued, " Anyway this event will be a good start"
Nodding their heads in agreement with Muzica, Hirana and the others were thinking about the potential new team members.
--The "New DIVAs" they said- Piruluk, Yuzuki, Midoriko, Hanayo, and Tama - who could naturally hear the conversation even if they did not listen in particular - were still talking about what they were going to do in this world, which they were not used to.
“I am sure that was us, right?”
“Hanayo says anxiously, crossing her arms in front of her chest.”
“I'm sure it's us.”
Yuzuki agreed with a sigh.
“When that girl spoke to us earlier, we were so surprised that we panicked a little bit. ......”
Midoriko reflected back on her attitude earlier and seemed to regret it a little.
“Do you think they don't like us?”
“I don't think so, but we certainly should have been more natural with them......”
While taking care of Tama's uneasiness, Piruluk herself also feel anxiety.
One day, after a series of events had all come to an end, they were living a peaceful life. They suddenly felt as if they were wrapped in a bright white light, and found themselves in this “WIXOSSLAND”.
The neon lights decorating the city shone brightly, and people's joyful voices filled the place, like a theme park like downtown. They couldn’t tell if they were in a dream or not.
Looking around impatiently, they were a little relieved to see other LRIGs they knew. However, they still had no idea why or how or what had happened to bring them here.
All they know at this point is that WIXOSS is being held here as well, and those cheerful-looking girls are doing battle as "DIVA".
And that WIXOSS is different from the rules they know....... Does this mean that this was a different world from the one they were originally in?
They hoped that when they went to sleep and woke up, they would be back where they had been..... but it didn't come true.
“I think we should try to communicate with ...... those girls called DIVA ...... to learn more about this world and the WIXOSS in this world. ...... and then we can figure out how to get back to where we were.”
At Piruluk's suggestion, Yuzuki and the others nodded their heads, having no reason to oppose the idea and having no choice but to take action.
They think those girls may be somewhat like us, but they have something shining that they attract people like idols ...... who give cheer to people. They feel they have such a something shining! It is such a shining hope that seems to find a solution to even this mysterious event.
“I think it's best to ask them about this world. Besides, they don't seem to be our enemies.”
“If we could gather information from them and join up with the other LRIGs who have come to this world, it would be reassuring, wouldn't it?”
“Yes, that would be great. We'll start by gathering information at ....... Is that okay with you, Tama?”
“Yeah ...... I'll do my best so that I can get back to 'Ruu' as soon as possible.......”
Piruluk and the others started to move with Tama, who was clearly the most depressed since her arrival in this world.
“First of all, let's talk to that girl called 'Hirana' who greeted us earlier.”
Meanwhile, the other LRIG that was brought to this world, Urith had no one to play with, nothing to do, and was bored.
She didn't care where she was as long as she had something interesting to do, but she didn't have that either.
She knew that other LRIGs were here too, but they were all somewhat nervous and cautious, and she had a feeling that if she tried to stir things up without any interesting topics, she would end up coming up empty-handed.
At that time, someone named DIVA, who seemed to be an original resident of this place, found an announcement of an event to compete in WIXOSS.
“I was wondering if this event is going to be big fun?”
The DIVAs are happily competing in WIXOSS in this glittering world, and they are giving it their all.
The straight and beautiful ones with sparkling bright faces become sorrowful by losing a game, turn ugly, and stop dreaming because their hope has been cut off.
If she could see WIXOSSLAND filled with such DIVA, it would seem like more fun than just spending time here.
The thought makes Urith's body tingle deep inside with excitement.
“Hehehe. It's just what I need to kill some time. ......”
She smiled evilly and plotted to beat the DIVAs in battle herself.
“That would be so much fun!”
A cheerful voice was emitted from the shadow approaching from behind.
“What ......?”
“Oh my, I spoke out loud. I'm so sorry!”
“My name is Nanashi, Miss Urith. I have heard your story. I would be happy to join you in your spare time.”
Urith responded to this unsolicited offer with an unpleasant look on her face, indicating that she was no longer excited about it.
“Join me? I don't want to work with somebody else.”
Even though she clearly didn't like her, Nanashi was unfazed and dared not care.
“But Miss Urith, in this world of WIXOSS, you need to be on a three-person team, so you are fighting directly against your own interest.”
“Team of three.....”
The style of battles here is different from what she used to do. In other words, it seemed that only a team of three could participate in the event. The fact that she has to be partnered with someone else is an unexpected one for her, but she doesn't want to miss out on this exciting way to kill some time.
“What is your purpose in teaming up with me?”
“My purpose? Well, I guess so....”
“Hmmm," Nanashi thinks for a moment, then pauses for a moment,
“Wouldn't it be boring to live in a world where order is kept?” she replied with a smile.
It seems that Nanashi is also similar type to Urith.
They were not interested in cooperating with each other, but were happy to have fun on their own so Urith agreed to team up with them.
“But we need one more person, don't we? Do you have any idea?”
“Hmmm, I guess so......”
Urith and Nanashi were not the type to usually work with other LRIGs, and there was no one who could be brought into the team right away.
The person who appears before them as if she has been waiting for them is Remember.
“The fortune says that it is good luck to have me as a member of your team.”
When Remember woke up in this world, she was aware that Piruluk was nearby. However, she could not ask Piruluk and her friends to join her. However, it was a strange world where it would be too uncomfortable for her to act alone.
She was looking for the right moment to approach Urith and Nanashi, with the idea that she would feel safer if she was near the strong ones.
If they had to gather three people anyway, it didn't matter to Urith who the members were.
“As long as you don't bother me, I don't mind.”
--And so, the team of Urith, Nanashi, and Remember, each with their own speculations, began to move forward.
“So it's a little tedious to get ready to enter an event in so many ways.......”
Urith sighed while letting Remember build her deck. They have to choose the cards they will use, not the selectors they teamed up with. There are various rules and theories, and they have to think about the strategy well in order to win. And there are a lot of cards that they didn't know before.
In addition, there are many other things that still need to be done, such as the entry procedures and determining the team names. Urith was going to assign them to two people and proceed, but she couldn't find Nanashi.
“Do you know where she went?”
For the past few days after teaming up, Nanashi has been showing up and disappearing suddenly, acting too freely and completely unpredictable. Remember stopped picking out cards and went back to her memory, "I haven't seen her yet today, but I don't know where she is at all."
“Oh, I remember she was trying to enter an event yesterday under the team name 'NONAME'. ...... she looks like she ended up stopping ...... after all.”
“...... what?”
It is good that she was trying to proceed with the entry, but she was surprised at the unexpected fact that Nanashi was trying to register their team’s name as NO NAME based on her motif.
Urith is stunned by this. NO NAME is her nickname.
“So why did she stop?”
When she asked her the reason, she told her that the name was similar to the initial team’s name of a DIVA team called "No Limit" which is very popular nowadays. When asked by the receptionist if she was sure she could enter the team under that similar name, she said that she didn't want to be second-best to anyone else, so she withdrew her application.
“I wonder if she's ...... more narcissistic than I thought." "Or maybe she likes joke?”
“Gags using her own name are no longer self-deprecating.”
“But in the end, she went away saying, 'It's a shame.'”
Her actions and intentions were completely unpredictable. But if they wait and do nothing until she shows up again, they might not be able to make it in time for the event entry.
If that's the case, she has no choice but to let Remember decide on their team’s name.
“What, I'll name our team ......?”
“You can name our team whatever you want.”
“No, no! A name is an important element that determines its fate. ......”
“Well, I'm not interested in that kind of thing, and I'll leave it to you anyway. If you decide on our team’s name, you can submit our entry.”
Remember didn’t want to be removed from the group by Urith, so she had no choice but to obey what she says. And if that was the case, she was going to make a decision by fortune-telling. She took out her crystal and began to ponder.
It's been a few hours since Urith started letting Remember decide on their team’s name. She was immersed in her own world without doing anything else. She hasn't even finished building the deck she asked for, and Urith thinks it's time for her to get to work.......
“Hey, how long are you going to keep thinking about this? Come on.......”
“Oh! Wait, I'm still trying to figure out if we should use a 32 letters name that goes well with this team!”
“32 letters?”
“And our lucky color is pink......, but it's not in our name....... Oh, I see......, when we submit our entry with such a name, it seems that we should bow in that direction before we enter then we will have better luck......”
“Stop it. What are you talking about?”
“I'm sorry! Then, at the end, I'll switch the order of the letters here, so that it looks like a simple word at a glance, but as for the meaning, it seems to be deep ...... ah, please wait a little longer after all ......!”
Whether she was thinking of a team name or an arcane code, Urith couldn’t understand it.
She didn’t care what the name of the team is anyway.
Urith looks at the cards Remember left scattered around while she was still doing her own fortune telling. After all, none of the preparations for the event are finished.
“Oh, Miss Urith♪”
It's Nanashi's voice. It was good timing for her to come back!
Urith thought this would allow them to proceed with their preparations, but her faint hopes were betrayed in an instant.
“You know? This WIXOSSLAND has a fashionable café, too.”
How can she be so optimistic?
“...... Nanashi ......”
“Oh my, what's wrong with your scary face? Yes, your face has always been scary, hasn't it!
Just kidding♪”
Nanashi's behavior, as if she had no idea of Urith's concern, made her feel tired.
“Oh, did you hear about the team’s name? It's terrible that there are people who have already used it, isn't it?”
“Do you think maybe they are just trying to annoy me....? Oh no♪”
Why she is blushing, Urith has no idea, but she believes she should not take these people seriously. Urith was convinced that she would keep her pace and stay out of Nanashi
“And so, once again, I'm having the Remember decide on our team’s name right now.......”
“Oh, really?”
Urith doesn't know why she is in such a good mood, but she rushes over to Remember with a happy look on her face.
“Wow, you decide on our team’s name based on fortune-telling? Interesting!”
“Oh, Nanashi, ....... I'm having a hard time deciding between these two names......”
It's okay if the two of them talk it over and come up with a good decision, but there was no way it could be worked out.
“Hmmm, isn't it a little plain?”
Is it really plain because of the 32 letters?
“It's more like ...... we're going to cause chaos, and then, it is like explosion!”
“Explosion. ...... but according to this fortune-telling, this is the word I wanted to use ......”
“Oh, really? How about connecting this one and this one?”
“I see. ......!Then it would be 40 letters, but ...... would also be good from a letter of strokes ......!”
It's the same whether it's 32 or 40 letters, it doesn't matter anymore - Urith looked up to the heavens and let out a big sigh.
“Huh...... I think I may have made a mistake in selecting these members.......”
to be continued…
