STANDING BY (OPEN)

[faiz]

Takumi fell through the portal as Auto Javin smashed into the ground as well, thankfully neither of them was injured, though Takumi was irked that he had somehow fallen into some kind of trap. He had no idea where he had ended up and for all he know there would be someone waiting for him to fight him or kill him as he quickly stood up and scanned the area to see if there was anyone with him. But all he could see were emptiness and there was no one about as he used his Orphenoch senses, what remained of it at least, to sense if there were hidden enemies about but again there were no such thing.

Despite this sense of tranquillity Takumi was very much uneasy about the situation, what was the portal for? Who created the portal? And most importantly where did the portal take him? A barrage of questions assaulted him and he wondered if remnants of Smart Brain were still active, he looked around to see that he might be in the same forest area where he had found the portal, but other then that he couldn’t be too sure of where he was now as he sighed and made sure that Auto Javin was okay.

The machine was okay for the most part seeing as how it went through a lot of battles and a scratch here or there wouldn’t matter; but what did matter was that nothing was broken and so far all was good, ”Really” Takumi exsparated, ”of all times to have this happen” as he was thankful that at least Smart Brain was destroyed. If Smart Brain was still active then no doubt Takumi would be frantic now as his friends, and more innocent people, could get hurt or worse killed but since the King was destroyed Japan was at peace, or at least he hoped it was at peace, as Takumi decided that the best thing to do was to simply walk around and see if there was anyone that could help him with where he was at the moment.

[sirpheles]

Today seemed like it was going to be an incredibly slow day for the Preceptor of Japan's Branch of the Knights of the True Cross. Just another average day in an average school for teaching Exorcists about the demons of the world. This day was turning out to be very, very boring for Mephisto Pheles. He was sitting in his office, chin resting on his desk, and staring at his door. What he wouldn't give for something entertaining to happen. He'd even settle for one of his younger brothers' antics, as long as something happened to bring him out of this boredom. With a sigh, he snapped his fingers and conjured one of those senseless stress devices, the one with the balls on strings that knock each other back and forth. He couldn't even summon enough energy to bother remembering what it was called...

And then, Mephisto felt something. It was something that seemed awfully familiar. It felt almost like the spacial rift he created whenever he transported himself a vast distance or created one of his Infinity Keys. He didn't know what had emitted such a spacial ripple like that, but he was going to find out. Rising quickly from his desk, Mephisto surged toward the door to his office. With his gloved hand, he reached into the depths of his suit and produced his personal Infinity Key. Mephisto gives all his staff and students different and specifically customized Infinity Keys, but this Key was one that only he, himself, had. It took him to very specialized places; particular spots that Mephisto had shown interests in. Sliding the Key into the door's keyhole, Mephisto "unlocked" a precise location, one that was relatively close to the location in which the spacial rift occurred, and opened the door. Grabbing his pink umbrella from against the wall, the firstborn son of Satan stepped through and into the streets of Tokyo.

With a wide and wicked smile, Mephisto popped his umbrella open and summoned a powerful gust of wind to lift him into the air and propel him towards his destination. He was easily able to find the place he was looking for. The sight that he beheld, however, seemed to distance the demon's interest. A boy and some crude machination of some sort had caused the rift he'd felt? Mephisto found that testament highly implausible, but he would investigate the situation, nonetheless. Landing, gracefully, some distance away, Mephisto strode towards his newest toy. For indeed, within Mephisto's eyes, every being within Assiah, or Earth, was merely one of the many toys in his toy box; a pawn in his grand game. Stepping up to this new person, Mephisto removed his white top hat from his head and swept himself low with a bow. "Good day! I am Johann Georg Faust... the Fifth." Mephisto smiled at the use of his surrogate name. He couldn't imagine the original Dr. Faust was very fond of him using his name, but such were the side effects of the terms of their agreement. "It would appear you're having some life troubles..." Mephisto, who kept himself as neat and tidy as possible, thought that the man before him did indeed look quite bedraggled.

[faiz]

During his time as a drifter Takumi had met a lot of people, being alone he wasn’t one for being attached to someone and he usually met them through one circumstances or another, most of the time he just said hello and talked for a bit before going on his way. He was always on the move because he wanted to run away from what had happened at the school and despite what people say he always blamed himself for what had happened and perhaps still do to a small degree. Associating himself with people simply put them in danger and he could not let that happen no matter what, he would always be alone and he would always be going somewhere.

People he met were usually those that were travelling, those that were going to one place or another, usually it would mean that he would have to help them out since some people were very dark and they blamed things on Takumi. Although it was a pain to do it he eventually did it simply in order to get away from them as quickly as possible and no sooner then he was done with that he usually forgot them. Of course with Mari it was different and looking back it was probably the best thing that had had ever happened to him as he was able to have a dream no as opposed to no dreams and it was one he would enjoy attempting to make it happen.

But now it seemed he was in a different world altogether and one that seemed to be not Japan, or at least not the Japan he knew, as he was thinking about his current predicament he then heard a voice as he turned to see a strange man in an even more strange costume talking to him. Was the guy an Orphenoch? He didn’t look like one and he was, for a lack of better word, a little bit crazy with his outfit and what he had on him, ”I’m Takumi Inui…and I’m just a little bit lost” Takumi said as he didn’t have a clue what the man was talking about, ”could you tell me where I am at this moment?” Takumi asked.

[sirpheles]

With a bright and flashing smile, gleaming with his demonic incisors, Mephisto looked down on the young lad with a domineering expression. It wasn't often Mephisto got the opportunity to witness someone brand-new to this world, but it appeared he's found yet another gold nugget. Yes, he believed this was turning out to be a very interesting day, indeed. His eyes, with their slitted pupils, quickly surveyed the area and easily homed in on the exact spot the portal had been. As nonchalantly as ever, Mephisto waltzed on over to the spot without even seeming like it was any intention of his, keeping his eyes, and his smile, on Takumi.

"'Tis a pleasure to make your acquaintance~!" With another low bow, Mephisto was able to use the motion to conceal the fact his hand swept right through the area the portal had been. Concealing a frown, the demon discovered that the portal had fully closed. Well, then there was no helping it; Mephisto was disappointed to find that he would not be venturing into a new world and claiming a new playground. Oh, well; it wasn't like Assiah was really that boring. After all, things like young Takumi showing up are certainly interesting to the crossroads demon. And so, with this new toy in what seems to be a vast new world, he'd need someone to guide him through it, right? Mephisto would hate for someone to not know how to best take to a new situation; and so it was Mephisto decided to take his new... friend under his wing, so to speak.

"Why, you are in the magnificent Tokyo, Japan~!!" Waving his arms to emphasize the scenery about them in a very dramatic fashion, Mephisto continued his introductions. "If I'm not mistaken, you are very close to a very specific place called the True Cross Academy." Of course, Mephisto was very certain of this fact; but there wasn't any need to go about revealing his entire hand, now was there? "If you'd like to have a tour, you need simply follow me." Spinning so that his back was turned to Takumi, Mephisto raised his hand, three of his fingers raised. "Drei... Zwei... Eins!" And, as he counted in German, Mephisto counted down with his fingers before snapping loudly. In a burst of pink smoke, Mephisto was gone; in his place, was a small dog with a pink-and-white, polka dot neckerchief around its neck.

Looking back at Takumi, Mephisto, in dog form, trotted off down the road, beginning to head back to True Cross Academy.

[faiz]

Being in the Kamen Rider business Takumi had long developed sort of a 6th sense to danger, being an Orphenoch probably helped as well, when one is always being chased by an organization hell bent on destroying humanity you have to develop keen senses or you’re a goner. At least that’s Takumi’s opinion on matters such as this and right now his senses were tingling…but surely there couldn’t be any Orphenochs around right? There were a few remaining not counting himself and his other Orphenoch friends unless Smart Brain had somehow managed to survive the beating it was given and someone was now running the show. That was bad on many levels as he would have to return to Mari and others in case they were going to be targeted by remnants of Smart Brain, only he was able to properly defend them and he couldn’t rely on others to protect them, perhaps he was a bit too prideful in that regards but when it came to friends he found that he didn’t need to always run away when it came to friends being in danger.

He was glad to find that he was near Tokyo as that was a relief. He thought that he had been sent to a completely new world altogether because that would mean that he would need to get out of here as soon as possible and he didn’t like how this world looked…it look so dark and evil like anything could pop out at any second and attack him and Faust if he wasn’t careful. However he then looked hard at Faust when the man mentioned something called the True Cross Academy, Takumi had never heard of such an academy while he was in Tokyo and he certainly never heard of it anywhere else. Did that mean he was still in a different world but still had similarities to Earth? ”I have never heard of the True Cross Academy, what do you teach there?” Takumi asked although it may be a stupid question some academies taught more then what most people expected.

Faust then offered him a tour of the academy as Takumi wanted to speak up to decline, he had no time to go touring an academy when he could be in a completely different world. However the more he thought about it the more he came to realise that it would probably be wise to follow Faust as he would know more about this world then Takumi would and his assistance, if he gave any, would be much appreciated as Takumi simply nodded as Faust counted in some language that he never heard of before a pink smoke then puffed up. Takumi coughed a bit thinking it was a surprise attack when he saw that Faust had turned himself into a puppy with a handkerchief, definitely not human, as it trotted along towards what Takumi assumed to be the academy. Sighing he then grabbed hold of Auto Javin as he then followed Faust into the academy hoping that he wouldn’t regret this decision.

[sirpheles]

Mephisto trotted along down the streets, taking twists and turns, until he finally came to a halt. They were on a strip of highway that ran horizontally above a vertical road below them. To most people, it was just another road that one drove upon to get to and from the many places found within Tokyo. However, to Sir Pheles, it was much more than that. He remember a time ago when they were still constructing this strip of concrete. He had been looking for a new location for his school. Every so often, he relocated the school, for several reasons. It was when he had been standing on this new would-be highway that he had found the perfect location. Just a distance off from this road, across from the setting sun, he had built his True Cross Academy with a snap of his fingers.

Sitting on his hindquarters, still in his canine form, on the side of the road, Mehpisto looked out onto his school. It was truly an unusual site, looking as if a mishmash of several different buildings molded together. And each section had its own quirk; one section of the building looked like it had wings, another seemed to have a tail. Of course, it was specifically designed the way it was for a very simple reason. He couldn't very well have regular students getting lost within the hals of the school designed particularly for his Exorcist students, now could he? Mephisto still found it quite amusing that he, a demon, Satan's firstborn son, taught young men and women how to banish demons back to Gehenna, or what some would call Hell.

When Mephisto turned to speak to Takumi, his voice wasn't the same as when in his human form. It sounded more squeaky, as if he was pressing his cheeks together. "That is True Cross Academy. I do not teach, per say; although, I will if a teacher is absent. I am Preceptor, more of a principal. If you require a place to stay, I'm sure we can find room in one of our dormitory buildings. Feel free to visit if you ever need anything. If need for me ever arises, simply tell one of the staff that Doctor Faust has sent you to see Sir Pheles. Continue along this road until you see an intersection; turn right and then take a left at the right. Follow that road and you should arrive at the public entrance to the school. I'm sure transportation, or any other necessities, can be provided for you when you arrive."

His introductions and instructions given, Mephisto hopped right off the side of the rode. Before impact with the ground, however, he vanished in another puff of pink smoke.